Trent Reznor has always been a one-trick-pony, but it's a damn good trick: sunny melodies filtered through ferocious electronics. Unfortunately, the trick's impact was often watered down by a tendency toward petulance and self-absorption. Still, almost six years after NIN's last release, The Fragile, the trick itself has lost none of its Teen-Beat-from-hell appeal. With Teeth blisters from the start with "All the Love in the World," and tracks like "The Collector" take full advantage of Dave Grohl's sledgehammer drumming. Reznor stretches occasionally, trying out different tactics, from crunchy, overtly commercial rave-ups ("The Hand That Feeds") to borderline New Wave ("Only"). But Teeth isn't about stretching. It's about doing the same trick, only better, with less clutter and more bite. By neatly distilling the sparseness of Pretty Hate Machine with Downward Sprial-style density, it ends up being the most focused record in the NIN catalog. Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (312)

Best Nine Inch Nails album since "Pretty Hate Machine"
First, I have been a fan of NIN since its debut album back in 1991 when I was in high school. And I have followed this band all through college and grad school and I have to say that this is by and large their best effort since "Pretty Hate Machine"

I listened to entire album twice before writing this review and I have to say, I LOVE IT!

This is the album that should have followed "Pretty Hate Machine". PHM is by far NIN's best, but this comes a second close. Whereas "The Fragile" and the "Downward Spiral" and even the EP "Broken" were an exhausting orgy of noise and aural chaos, this album is well crafted and tight; it's hardcore yet melodic.

All the tracks are good, but the best are (in my opinion):

1) All the world in the world
3) The collector
4) The hand that feeds
5) Love is not enough
6) Every day is exactly the same
9) Getting smaller
13) Right where it belongs

Enjoy!

This guy is 40 and he has a number one album
When you mention NIN to anyone, the past music could be summed up with one word: angst. Even though much of Trent Reznor's last album was unfocused and weird, besides being very non-commercial, you can only be angry and full of angst for so long, to a point where that becomes clichÎ. Reznor wisely took a long break. He reformed the band, which includes Jeordie White. This album is also 13 tracks just over fifty minutes. Reznor has learned that less is more. The songs are brilliant. "All The Love In The World" and "You Know What You Are?" show immediately the soft and the hard side of the same coin. Then we get to the weird world of "The Collector" where all music collides. Three tracks in you realize that Reznor has decided to get more interesting on the percussion. The drum sounds are almost a fusion of drum and bass and rock drumming. "The Hand That Feeds" is a political song that recalls early NIN. Reznor proves that he hasn't lost his edge. Most of his current emotions are dealt with on "Love Is Not Enough." He makes a lot of noise and takes us to new NIN vistas. He even plays around with retro 1980s synth sounds on "Only." Punk rock and metal pop are words to describe "Getting Smaller." Reznor has made an interesting album that looks to the past and looks to the future. Not many records sound like this right now, so good for him.

Bad Pop, Even Worse Rock, and Terrible Industrial
I thought Trent was better than this. Almost every track is boring emo garbage with little to no electronic work. I've never really liked his vocal work, but here it just deflates because he has few to no catchy melodies. The good tracks are "The Hand That Feeds," "Only," "Beside You In Time" (which is nice and experimental) and "Right Where It Belongs."

The Fragile was good for its length and fairly catchy melodies. The Downward Spiral was good for its lyrics, repeating melody, and storyline. Pretty Hate Machine was good for its vast sparseness and minimalism. Get those if you haven't.

Don't be fooled; With Teeth has none of NIN's redeeming qualities or songs which will stick. Trent seems to have sold out just about completely now.

With Teeth is good!
I enjoyed With Teeth very much. I have been a fan for many years. And I think this CD is just as good as all the other Nine Inch Nails records.All of the 13 songs are different in a way.All of the NIN music has changed over the years and that is a reason that I like their work.
Trent is still a bright Artist. Some of the amazing songs in this album are All The Love In The World, Only, Sunspots, The Line Begins To Blur, Beside You In Time, and Right Where It Belongs.

If you buy this album you should try and get the 5.1 DUALDISC, it sound really amazing!
I think this album is a step forward in Nine Inch Nails music making.
The drumming is really well done for the records as well.
This new NIN won't disappoint at all.

Hate Pretty Machines
Trent's thunderously technological turbulence reaches a new zenith with the new album.I was a skeptic; initially, I thought Reznor wouldn't be able to outdo the Downward Spiral.In the end, I was right . . . because Reznor smartly doesn't try to.

Instead, the new album feels more organic.Reznor has hired out more guns to play (instead of playing an insane Beethoven and recording all his own tracks) and that has seemed to help.The first single, "The Hand That Feeds", has true punch but lacks the resonance of, say, the Greatful Dead releasing "Casey Jones."Further, Trent is good but Jerr Bear is better.Set the new NIN release aside and don't worry - your local alt station will play it over and over to drill it all into your cranium anyhow.

I do appreciate Trent offering up tracks to Apple users to remix and bushwhack at will.That struck me as open and cool; in fact, reverse my previous non-recommendation.Run out and by two copies of the new album for you and your mother,Check Amazon now; my used one is for sale right now.

And Trent just wants to play on em-tee-vee in front of a simplistic Bush backdrop and they won't let him?What's a rage-ridden rocker to do?Can rock and roll ban even the hint of rebellion?Yes, Trent has aged, and, yes, many of the beats feel (or are overtly) retro, but isn't everything? Everything is built on what came before it.Deal with it, buy the album, and enjoy it.Then, as the lights draw low, go groove to the Dead.

Trent Reznor has always been a one-trick-pony, but it's a damn good trick: sunny melodies filtered through ferocious electronics. Unfortunately, the trick's impact was often watered down by a tendency toward petulance and self-absorption. Still, almost six years after NIN's last release, The Fragile, the trick itself has lost none of its Teen-Beat-from-hell appeal. With Teeth blisters from the start with "All the Love in the World," and tracks like "The Collector" take full advantage of Dave Grohl's sledgehammer drumming. Reznor stretches occasionally, trying out different tactics, from crunchy, overtly commercial rave-ups ("The Hand That Feeds") to borderline New Wave ("Only"). But Teeth isn't about stretching. It's about doing the same trick, only better, with less clutter and more bite. By neatly distilling the sparseness of Pretty Hate Machine with Downward Sprial-style density, it ends up being the most focused record in the NIN catalog. Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (112)

With Teeth is good!
I enjoyed With Teeth very much. I have been a fan for many years. And I think this CD is just as good as all the other Nine Inch Nails records.All of the 13 songs are different in a way.All of the NIN music has changed over the years and that is a reason that I like their work.
Trent is still a bright Artist. Some of the amazing songs in this album are All The Love In The World, Only, Sunspots, The Line Begins To Blur, Beside You In Time, and Right Where It Belongs.

If you buy this album you should try and get the 5.1 DUALDISC, it sound really amazing!
I think this album is a step forward in Nine Inch Nails music making.
The drumming is really well done for the records as well.
This new NIN won't disappoint at all.

Good, very solid, but not Great.
This album is perfectly produced, every note is hit right, every thing is in its place.It's superbly done and well crafted, both musically and in the recording.However, there is nothing new here.It seems bland and too thought out.Nothing grabs you.There is no "Terrible Lie" or "Closer" here.All the songs are good and because of that all of them get lost.There are some jazz-esque type moments on the first track and repeated in another song or two but it does not make them stand out.This album is boring in every way.

With Teeth, angst all grown up... sort of.
Trent Reznor is back with another trip through his psyche in With Teeth, and this time, it's a rock and roll trip. Six years after the release of his last studio album, The Fragile Trent brings us an album that at face value has a alt-rock sound, yet has all the underpinnings of a true Nine Inch Nails release. The album is subtly complex full of the layering fans would expect from a follow up to Downward Spiral and The Fragile, but may not be immediately aware of them as they blend in so naturally with the composition. With Teeth separates itself from its predecessors with high energy tracks throughout the album, with a notable exception of the quiet Right Where It Belongs. Driving this energy is the rock record finish on this album of trashy guitars and driving percussion, a majority of the live percussion done by Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. The emotion of the album shows in Trents signature vocals and a matured version of angst and anger in the lyrics and music. Longtime fans may miss the abundance of harsh synthesizers and wildly distorted guitar found in previous albums.

With Teeth is rife with the sound of rock clichés spun through the industrial machine that is Nine Inch Nails. The first single from the album "The Hand That Feeds" is commercial rock so riddled with clichéd questions and just as if not more compelling then Closer was when it was released. Edges of punk rock come out in Getting Smaller, and Only has a opening and a synth line that could have come straight out of an 80's new wave hit. Sunspots stands out sounding like something that R.E.M. might have done coming out of a week-long drug bender. Something that surprised me so much to find on a Nine Inch Nails album that I had to replay the track several times, Right Where It Belongs has a definite country western bend to it and could have been this albums Hurt given a different treatment. With multiple plays I am positive any listener will be able to draw lines connecting the sounds of With Teeth to all corners of the rock genre.

I applaud Trent and the marketing at Nothing Records for providing everything this or any album needs for the art that is the entire package to survive in the digital age. Neither physical format of the album comes with much more liner notes than a track listing and a web link to find all the information at a page for the album on nin.com including downloadable PDF versions to print and save.

NIN FUTURE
It's so good to have NIN back.
I;ve listened the entire album for 3 times and it's still amazing me.
There are so many bands that have been influenced by NIN like TOOL,Linkin Park, etc... that we allways expect something new and different from Trent Reznor.
With TEETH is a complete different album from the others NIN's works but it still have the NIN essence.
For me The best song in the album is "Beside you in time".
I'ts a masterpiece and i see the Future of NIN there.
NINE INCH NAILS NO TE ME MUERAS NUNCA

Open Letter to Mr. Trent Reznor
For the last 6 years, while you were busy doing heroin and whacking off to Shakira videos, you forced the rest of us to endure the likes of Nickelback and frickin' Rob Thomas.
But we forgive you.
It is so good to have you back.
... Read more

The first single to be lifted from the 2005 album,'White Teeth'. This UK limited edition includes three versions of the title track,Album Version, Photek Straight Remix and Photek Dub. Interscope. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

the hand of the artist should have been in this
rockin' song with great energy dampered only by the limited number of versions. Why go to the trouble of cutting a disc like this without giving the consumer 5 or 6 versions of the song? Trent should know better, being the music fan that he is.

I think it's solid.
Remember all that garbage social music you've heard for years now?Please let it go.Don't call that music 'pop music', call it 'Disney Dollars'.

What do I mean?I might know...

I've been a NIN fan all the long.Trent's certain breed of music has always had a bitter aftertaste.I think there's a point there.

Let's talk about 'The Hand That Feeds'.Musicaly, any other time than now, this would be wrong.I thought a long time ago that once computer screen resolutions where so high that no normal person could see individual pixels... at that time, at this time...the mosiac effect is effective artisticaly.So, that in mind along with what everybody really has noticed these last 10 years... 'The Hand That Feeds' is the best song I've heard in a long time....and it's all done in that walking talk the talk in NIN style; acceptable now for a social setting.

The lyrics in 'The Hand That Feeds' has the most clever double meaning contained in there.I don't think anybody is catching it.

So, I'm a little disturbed that everybody misses the point.If this isn't an original song... what is?I wonder what the kids would say to answer that question?Maybe something about Incubus or... uh... Jay Z...

Lastly, if you don't know who Photek is... You probably won't get the remixes.You don't listen to something extendedly titled [Dub Mix] and be disgusted when it's the type of thing to play in club that's not too busy playing irresponsible dry-hump music that has spoken lyrics about killing gangstas.Yeeeaaah!

Nobody wants to change it.

There've Been Better, But There've Been Worse
ALBUM MIX: I'm not going to bother much with this; we've all heard it, it's a great song, let's hear it for Nine Inch Nails, yay.

STRAIGHT MIX: Interesting extended take on the original, and well-done.There's not much actual remixing - other than the techno beat, the "whispering" and the "horror movie synths" near the bridge (which were great), it stays mostly true to the album version - but that doesn't stop it from being a good listen, and it's just as catchy as the album version.I especially liked when the music mostly drops out in favour of the vocals at 3:53; it was a nice touch, one that probably should've been part of the album cut.Either way, not bad.

DUB MIX: It's a house version.What can be said about that, really?Trent's occasional voice adds something, and the beat and guitar/synth loops are infectious enough with this mix that it doesn't fall COMPLETELY flat... but you're probably not going to want to listen to it too often.Decent.

OVERALL: I'd rather spend my money on Things Falling Apart or Further Down The Spiral, of course... but this was supposed to be a single, not a remix album, and as such, it's not bad.Worth a few quid, but don't bump it to the top of your list.

SIDE NOTE: Trent is SO not fat; my bandmate Aeon and I saw him a few days ago, and he's as ripped as he ever was.

For diehards only.
Let me start by putting out a couple of my biases before getting into this review-- first, I relaly don't care for remixes as a rule, unless they're dramatic and severely restructure a song, I generally find they add little.Second, I really don't care for "The Hand That Feeds".

Having said that, the piece is presented in three mixes, the album version, the Straight mix, and the Dub mix.The album version has a catchy, circular guitar line and a straightahead drum beat that's actually decent until the bridge with this bizarrely irritating spoken wordish section.Just doesn't work.

The remixes fare no better-- the Straight mix adds different rock beats and an extended introduction that eventually becomes tedious, the dub mix layers a grating sustained guitar note over a beat and a mumbled repeated take on the chorus.

If you're a fan, get it.If not, skip this one, there's good reasons it wasn't released in the U.S.

SAD.Pathetic.Lame.Desperate.
Trent, sweetie, we know you want another radio single and to sell a TON of merch on your new tour.

Good luck, baby cakes.

This song sounds like a fourth-rate Utah band with a CD rack full of Halos.

Really sad.Without a doubt, the lamest of all NIN singles.

Silly, sad, fat Trent doesn't understand that he owes his "fame" to Mark Romanek and the catchphrase "I want to BLEEP you like an animal."

Considered the breakthrough album that delivered a more palatable version of industrial music to the commercial audience, Pretty Hate Machine left its dingy mark on pop culture. The abrasive "sonarchy" of the album was first churned by despondent club-goers who roiled with the rhythms and aligned with the angst-ridden convictions. Since its release, the album's tempered deviations came to signify an aesthetic reverie for machine-driven martyrdom. Permeated by hissing engines and dissonant strains, the tracks cascade outside channels of modern complacency. Hits like "Head Like a Hole" and "Down in It" are recognized by the acidic beats, piercing riffs, and lyrical hostilities which snare the listener with disparaging rhapsody. Not for the light-headed, Pretty Hate Machine afflicts the inner sanctum and strikes a nerve. --Lucas Hilbert ... Read more

Reviews (279)

Once upon a time, there was a man named Trent Reznor........
That's what I'll be saying to my grandkids in the future, when Nine Inch nails is firmly set as a music phenomenon and Trent Reznor is a legend everywhere you go. This album is the first of the group, and the album that really brought industrial music into the eyes of the world. It would definitely be safe to say that NIN is not only an industrial band, it is THE industrial band. Trent Reznor is a musical genius, and this album proves it. The songs are eerie and electronic, very powerful in a slow, forboding sort of way. The best song on this album is the first, Head Like a Hole. Terrible Lie follows, another masterpiece, and soon your mind is set that Nine Inch nails are no disposable trash. Alot of great, dark bands have come along recently. Marilyn Manson, KoRn, Cradle of Filth, but Trent Reznor will always hold a special place in my heart.

Black As Your Soul
Nine Inch Nails' incredible debut album Pretty Hate Machine is a personal favourite of mine and one of the most consistently good albums I have ever listened to. Each and every track is of a Grade-A standard and the album contains essential NIN tracks such as "Head Like A Hole", "Terrible Lie", "Down In It" and "Sin", but really, they're all essential. The opening track and alternative radio hit "Head Like A Hole" is a classic example of great industrial rock, with it's thrashy guitar and gloomy synthesizers, though it's not really indicative of the rest of the album. In fact, unlike subsequent releases, there is very little guitar at all on this album. Trent Reznor utilizes walls of synthesizers and electronic noise to generate a stark and bleak sound. Overall, the album is more accessable than other Nine Inch Nails albums but still dark and caustic, despite having catchy melodies. Lyrically Trent Reznor tackles such subject matter as betrayal, disillusionment and loss of identity. All the good stuff. Pretty Hate Machine is a marvel, and (dare I say it?) a work of genious. A true classic.

freekin excellent
by far the best nine inch nails album ever. I remember buying this from the local record store on vinyl back in 89. My mind spun watching the blue and pink decals twist on the turn table forming this wierd filament of psychodelic colors; WAY cool!. Despite this being an 80s album, this music would still be considered hot today. This record has so much variety in the techno/ industrial genres let alone Reznors other albums. This one is unique and a must have for all nine inch nail fans.

Yummy
Seems like I get to everything late in the game, but better late than never, eh? I thoroughly enjoyed the entire disc, finding nothing to skip over every time I listened. Favorite tracks were "Down in it" and "Kinda I want to." "Something I Can Never Have" struck a cord. PRETTY HATE MACHINE hit a good two weeks on my "sit-and-spin-in-my-player" ranking. Two weeks of good, solid listening. I found what little profanity there was appropriate and not enough to make me roll my eyes.

this cd never cools off!
Ok you know how when after you finish playing a CD, when you take it out, its warm? This CD has not cooled off since i got it 2 days ago. I probbally listend to it like 50 times in 2 days. I'm obsessed with it, as soon as it finishes playing, i hit play again. Most of the time, im not really listening to it, but it makes great back ground music. It's also awesome if your "actually paying attention" to the CD. I definatly recomend this CD. If you wana get to know nine inch nails, get this.
... Read more

Originally a Goth-flavored post-punk outfit, the Cure evolved into one of the truly seminal bands of the '80s, and ultimately one of modern rock's most celebrated and influential acts. Guided by creative visionary Robert Smith, the Cure's signature sound balances a dreamy pop savvy with a dark, brooding majesty and fuses superbly crafted, literate songs with a feverish emotional intensity. The band's early catalog-newly remastered and expanded wtih a wealth of rarities-is a series of masterpieces that laid the groundwork for their phenomenal and enduring popularity. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Good drug music?
This record came out in the summer 1982 after I graduate high school. I was loaded on a lot of substances when I first heard it. The Cure's Pornography was the band's darkest work and most negative to date. It became a Top 10 hit in the U.K. and went on to become an essential album in the Goth rock canon. The 14-song bonus disc features music that is available on CD for the first time including five previously unreleased songs, previously unreleased studio and home demo versions as well as live performances from 1981-1982. This is one of the albums that didn't age well. Besides a few songs here and there, it is really the last album of the early version of the Cure. There was a lot of drug use in the band and they soon broke up. They reformed temporarily to do the "Let's Go To Bed" and "Love Cats" singles, and develop into the more internationally known pop group. After Robert Smith had dealt with alienation with religion on Faith, this album had a bunch of vague lyrics about relationships, alienation, the media, and general disgust with everything. It was a spooky record to hear when you were hopped up on LSD. The bonus CD has some live tracks that sound pretty muddy. There are some interesting bits here and there. I remember when I read Spin Magazine gave this album a low rating. My memory of this time was that Pornography was a great album. Revisiting this great early trilogy, it is obvious that Seventeen Seconds was their great early album, while Pornography is a distant second.

I am very happy and excited!
So I went to my local independent record store yesterday, looking for something worthwhile. They didn't have the Siouxsie album I was looking for...bummer. As I was about to leave, I remembered hearing about the re-released Cure albums, so I checked and they had all the ones released thus far. Not having enough cash to purchase them all, Pornography in particular seemed to glow magnetically before my lusting eyes. The mastering on the old version sounded pretty flatland, but I usually remedied that by cranking it up so loud it wasn't as noticeable. Well, now I don't have to do that, because the re-mastering is crisp, and beautiful at any volume. I'm listening to it very loud right now, and it's taking me a long time to write this, because the music keeps taking me away to a new strange and exciting world. The musical brilliance of this album is now further complimented, with updated sound quality that offers tons more depth, texture and beauty. First time I listened to this version all the way through, my jaw dropped almost to the floor as I listened. Then I got my old version out and listened to it...and you know what? I was so blown away by the difference in sound quality, I think the old version should re-titled "Pornography, the Un-Mastered version". Old-school Cure fans who are scanning reviews to see if it's worth spending their money on this verson of Pornography, do it soon! Do it now, if you have the time. On this one, it's much easier to hear the changing textures wrap around you like a burning blanket from hell. Hmm, maybe my metaphysical imagery is irrelevant, BUT getting to the point...remember when you first heard Pornography? And you were blown away by it's brilliant intensity, yes? Of course you were! So was I, and now I feel as if I'm hearing the album as it was meant to be heard for the first time. I've only listened to it twice through (third time right now) and trust me, there's a LOT more detail on this album that can be heard on the original. This is what struck me the most. As you might guess, like most Cure fans, I've heard the original Pornography thousands of times, and STILL if I listen closely, I keep noticing sounds that pop up on this re-mastered version that are new to me. On the old version, I noticed that those same parts were either muffled, or buried by the frequencies of other instruments. There's SO much more space and texture here. And the bonus disc? INCREDIBLE! I don't understand why some people have been complaining about it...boo-hoo the audience-recorded live performances don't sound professional enough, blah blah blah. I think they sound bleak and really pretty. I like the stark sound-quality, and really, who cares if it's not perfectly-bootlegged (few, if any, bootlegs are)...we're talking about the masters of mood here! We, fans, got the amazing Join the Dots box set, and now re-mastered versions of early Cure albums with an extra bonus disc? Shame on ye who dares to complain! Well, I am VERY happy with my purchase, and I am very excited about listening to this MANY, MANY more times! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

When Rhino puts out a deluxe edition, they always deliver
What's the 4-1-1?
Rhino Records have gone into The Cure vaults along with Robert Smith to bring you Deluxe Editions of two of their most memorable releases. Both are remastered and appear on CD for the first time. In addition to the complete albums, each disc comes with a bonus disc of rarities and unreleased material. Seventeen Seconds contains rarities from 1979-1980 and Faith contains rarities from 1980-1981.

Genre
Post-punk / alternative / gothic / rock

The Good
Highlights from Seventeen Seconds
Drab and dreary piano set the tone of the album on the opening instrumental cut "A Reflection". Eerie background tones help underscore the track. "Play for Today is made up of an up-tempo drum beat, glassine-like keyboards, and watery guitar tones. An infectious little guitar hook goes a long way on "In Your House". I would liken the tone of the song to a hazy dream. "A Forest" employs haunting tones and melodies, backed by thought-provoking lyrics. Fuzzy guitar tones and creepy synths dominate "At Night". Seventeen Seconds" sums up the last moments of your life after committing suicide.

The rarities disc contains "I'm a Cult Hero" and "I Dig You" from Robert Smith's side project Cult Hero. It's more hopeful than any of the tracks Smith penned for The Cure. There are two rough home demos, an alternate mix for Three, and live tracks for every song that appears on the album; even a live version of "I'm a Cult Hero".

Highlights from Faith
" The Holy Hour" begins with a rather indulgent bass line. Robert Smith blends in nicely with his clean guitar tones and his trademark tortured vocals. Driving rhythms run rampant on "Primary". The track is more up-tempo than the usual Cure track, but the story being told is no much on the up-side. Percussion accented by warm keyboard tones prevail on "All Cats are Grey". Smith seems off in the distance as he inflicts his eerie vocals. I wasn't really surprised that church organ tones could be heard throughout "Funeral Party". To keep the mood going, Robert sings like his delivering a eulogy.

The rarities disc contains the unreleased tracks "Drowning", "Going Home Time", "The Violin Song", and "A Normal Story", two raw instrumental demos of "Faith", "The Holy Hour" and "Doubt", live tracks of songs from the Faith album to include a ten minute version of "Faith" and a nine minute version of "Forever", the rare single "Charlotte Sometimes, and an alternate version of "Primary" among it's fifteen tracks.

The Bad
Nothing

The Verdict
When Rhino Records puts together a Deluxe Edition, they always deliver the goods. Not only are you getting rare and unreleased material, which is always a plus, but you're also getting to hear the songs at their best possible quality. It's fun to hear how they went to rough demo to final composition. All of the depressing, sad, and heart-broken moments of your youth can be summed up by the latest remasters by The Cure.

Did You Know?
Rhino has also released The Cure's Pornography as a two CD deluxe addition. I would have reviewed it but after listening to these two, I was ready to slit my wrists.

Go over the edge in better sound
Another excellent and much-needed remastered Cure album appearing this year, Pornography is the last in a tremendous trilogy that includes Seventeen Seconds and Faith.

Like those rereleases, this is definitely worth it and a bonus for fans of the classic sink-into-despair album.The sound has the punch and new warmth of good remastereds, as opposed to the original AAD disc which was flatter and muddier.More liner notes, plenty of pictures, lyrics, and some brief history of the album and the period when the band was (obviously) miserable, doing the drugs, doing the booze, fighting, etc, etc.And once again in rock history, another band made a classic album while wanting to kill each other and possibly themselves.

While these sets are a little pricey, it's still a treat for the fan.The extras are nice as well.The live tracks are decent quality, audience, while the old demos and rough takes are interesting, too, they're totally different.

Certainly the darkest of that early trilogy, it's not to everyone's liking as the mopiness may wear on some, but it's an excellent, complete album from Smith and Co.

Pornographic Material.
1982's "Ponography" is so distinct an album, that's it's hard to imagine how the Cure would sound in 2005 without it.Most likely, the band would have never reached the artistic heights of 1989's "Distintegration," which introduced the band to a whole legion of wannabe suburban goth teens.After three albums under their belt, Robert Smith was able to articulate despair in a manner that raises goose pimples on even the toughest skin.Wailing guitars, distorted synths, and rubbery bass created a musical landscape of dread on tracks like "A Hundred Years," the single "The Hanging Garden," and the chilling title track.Many albums recorded in 1982 sound like it, but "Pornography" sounds timeless and never dated.It's been wonderfully remastered with an extra disc carrying a bevy of demos and live tracks, and sound purists will approve of the sonic upgrade this CD richly deserves."Pornography" is that rare disc that elevates mope to the level of art.
... Read more

Originally released in 1994, Trent Reznor created THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL as both a concept album and modern day classic. This influential 90s classic is Trent Reznors industrial cum-tragic opera view of the world and the souls sonically detailed fall from grace. The Downward Spiral delves into despair and anger with hard guitars and brutal beats.

Originally released in 1994, Trent Reznor created THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL as both a concept album and modern day classic. This influential 90s classic is Trent Reznors industrial cum-tragic opera view of the world and the souls sonically detailed fall from grace. The Downward Spiral delves into despair and anger with hard guitars and brutal beats.

This SACD/Hybrid DELUXE EDITION of THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL celebrates the 10 Anniversary of the modern masterpiece.

Trent Reznor took five years to record this monstrous double-CD set, wielding a perfectionist's touch in the production and the subtlety of a chainsaw in the musicianship. The result is uncompromising, full of hysterical noise and yet utterly accessible. Somehow, someway, this is one of the best pop records of the year. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (963)

Did the music grow up with the fans?
I was 15 when The Downward Spiral was released, now I'm 21. When I first heard about the new album I wondered if Trent's rage would still be applicable to me six years later. Well, it isn't really - but Reznor's musical ability can make almost any statement applicable to me.

The first song on this CD absolutely blew my socks off. It sounded like a mixture of Korn and an angry Tom Waits. As I continued through the CD I noticed the mass amount of time and effort put in to each track. Some almost sounded influenced by PJ Harvey, while other tracks were straight up rock and roll out of NIN's history. Now I see why this is an album that took a long time to assemble. As much as I love this CD - already - it has its downfalls just like any other. The biggest being its overwhelming size. 1 CD of Trent can be a lot to take, 2 can just be mind boggling. Also, much like in the past, sometimes Trent can leave the impression of being overly whiney when most of the material deals with how other people constantly dissatisfy him. But, over all I think this is going to be one of the last "most important records of the 90's."

I just hope future installments are a little more timely.

Beautifully Crafted Soundscapes From Mastermind Reznor
It took Trent Reznor five years to craft and touch up the double disc THE FRAGILE. When you play the whole 2-CD set from start to finish, you can't help but appreciate the results with uncompromising validity.

There are angry rockers on here like the in-your-face scathing of "No, You Don't", the subdued tempest of "Into The Void" with it's hopeless theme, and the ferocious snap at NIN imitators that is "Starfucker's Inc.", with its easy-to-remember chorus. Contrasting these moments are pleasant interludes like the gorgeous piano instrumental "The Frail", the haunting but slow-charging title track, the love song thrash of first single "We're In This Together", and the atmospheric and hauntingly melodic and memorable rocker "The Day The World Went Away".

The instrumentals on this double disc treat range from the sinister apocalyptic "Pilgrimage", to the haunting and deadly "Ripe With Decay", the aforementioned beauty "The Frail", and the haunting "La Mer" with it's absolutely catchy beat.

There are also tracks reminiscent of earlier Reznor works, like the opening caustic "Somewhat Damaged" and the fragile anger of "The Wretched", which reminds me of the seething "Reptile".

All in all, THE FRAGILE only continues what THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL began, and Trent Reznor shows us over the course of 100 minutes and 23 songs why he remains an important figure in the realm of industrial rock music. He's a genius, and THE FRAGILE proves that even at wit's end, Reznor is here to stay.

a musical masterpeice
Trent Reznor is an extremely talented singer and song writer. His writing is perfect, music is mezmerizing and wonderfully crafted. He has a message that should be heard: the world is not all daisys and fairytales. In my opinion, his music is not intended for the mainstream pop culture. It is simply intended to tell a story that in in is mind. The music has an appeal to the deepest parts of the soul. In my opinion, this is the perfect album to sit back and reassess the thoughts and views of such a horrible time we live in.

The end of the nineties dream...
I was amazed at how many people didn't buy this album because they said it wasn't nine inch nails... This album was Trent showing how human he really was, as with evidence in the lyrics and song titles referring to a piece of fruit (ie opening with Somewhat Damaged and ending with Ripe (with Decay)). Experimental, heartfelt, and totally dreamy. Despite all the hype that predated this album, i think it stood up to it. In a musical world of mediocrity this album stands the test of time. Especially now in 2004 where everyone whines exactly the same about how great high school was and other emotional barren themes, people need to discover the truth and vitology that thrives within this album. Listen to it from beginning to end... It may speak to your heart as it did to mine.

A gem.
There is nothing wrong with The Fragile. The problem with the critics and fans is that they were expecting another, The Downward Spiral from Reznor. Every artist, upon each new release, no matter how great they are, mature a little more. Reznor is no exception. His music is more melodic rather than a bunch of noise clashed together, which is what they call industrial. I loved The Downward Spiral, but there's something about The Fragile that's just so great. It took Reznor five years to write, record, and produce this monsterous LP. Reznor is releasing another album in 2004, title pending as "Bleedthrough". I am anticipating this release because I know that it'll be yet another masterpiece from Reznor.
... Read more

Shaking off the conventions and cliches of the EBM and futurepop genres, VNV Nation have crafted a work of art. From haunting, quiet beauty to introspective depths, to dance floor anthems, "Matter + Form" is an album crafted to move not only bodies on the dance floor, but hearts as well. VNV Nation is the new face of electronic music. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

What is truth
VNV Nation is one easily one of best bands in the EBM/futurepop genre as well as in general. I first discovered thema couple of years ago with their last studio album "Futureperfect". I was completely awestruck by their abilities to fuse haunting lyrics and melodies with a blend of industrial and synthpop beats. Ronan Harris writes some of the most beautiful lyrics I have ever heard (i.e "Beloved").

I finally obtained a copy of "Matter + Form". I personally love this album. I think it is great that the band continues to evolve with their sound. I think it would be dull for a band like VNV Nation to stick with one particular sound. It may work for bands like AC/DC but I think in VNV's case, they should be allowed to grow as a band. While there is no "Beloved" to be found on this album per say, the songs are far from lacking a good hook. I dug the industrial-influenced tracks "Chrome" and "Arena". They really set the tone of the album and I hope the band plays one or both of those songs live next month in concert. "Colours of Rain" is a beautiful haunting instrumental. "Homeward" is another personal favorite track of mine that I find myself hitting the replay button on.

I thought "Matter + Form" is a solid follow-up to "Futureperfect". I thought the general overall sound of "Matter + Form" was more aggressive than the band's previous two albums because of songs like "Arena" and "Perpetual" (another personal favorite track of mine). It is definitely one of the best albums of the year so far. I can't wait to see the band live in conert next month.

Uninspired
Whenever I've listened to a VNV Nation album, I've always been struck by how interesting and innovative the group is, even if I don't particularly enjoy every song on the album.There's still a sort of appreciation for trying to create something truly unique, something only VNV Nation could do.

Most of the tracks on Matter and Form are sub-par for what I expect from VNV Nation, and come nowhere near matching the quality of their earlier works.

There's an intro track on M+F, however it does nothing to set the mood for the rest of the album; it's essentially a minute and a half of sci-fi sounds that make you anticipate something dark and unknown, which really doesn't fit how the rest of the album feels.

Chrome is the only song on this album I have any sympathy for, as you can tell that a lot of time was put into the song to make it so great.It almost sticks out like a sore thumb on the album since the majority of the lyrical pieces on M+F are slow and ballad like (think Airships from Futureperfect, which I wasn't particularly a fan of).

The instrumental pieces are great tracks to fall asleep to, most of which are boring techno pieces that sound like the same 10 second sound clip looped over and over for a few minutes.

I'd recommend purchasing Praise The Fallen, Empires, Futureperfect, or if you can find it, Advance and Follow instead of this album if you do not have them.Or, check out something by Assemblage 23.

actually 2 1/2 stars to be exact
only has a couple good songs.about 5 or 6 of the songs are just instrumental, which i hate for this type of music.they are usually boring and stupid.It feels like i paid 15 bucks for only 5 or 6 songs.
I like VNV nation and love their last 2 albums, past perfect and empires but this one did not impress me.
save your money and download the only 2 decent songs that are on there.

Fantastic
"Chrome" and "Perpetual" are among the best of VNV and EBM. Great, great CD.

Not Quite the New Face of FuturePop
Like most fans of VNV, I too could sense that something in the way of a major shift had to occur. I mean Ronan might as well have said it directly on the "Futureperfect" DVD. He noted that the electro industrial scene undergoes a major shift about every 5 years or so. All of us then did the quick mental math to realize that VNV had taken over the scene about 5 years prior. Therefore he was saying that the scene, and his band too, needed to shake things up. In listening to this it almost seems as though VNV felt that everyone was looking to them to take that bold step and become the new face of whatever the new sound would be. Given that mindset I find "M&F" to be a major disappoint and, for the most part, a failure.

I think the only fully realized song is the single "Chrome"; it manages to be a clubsmasher while changing things enough to really break out of the confines of their earlier work. The synth sounds utilized recall nothing of prior songs, while the vocals are spun in a way that is fresh for Ronan. Outside of this I find some glaring flaws. The intro is a useless throwaway piece and I'm really tired of industrial bands thinking that they can get away with this. I don't mind simple mood setters but this has no value (if you have 17 tracks then a few fillers might be alright, but not on a 10-track album). Far too many tracks do not have vocals and they are not strong enough instrumentals to really stand on their own merit. Several are formulaic trance numbers that would work as decent dancefloor sets for lesser artists but fall flat here. One of the better tracks is nothing more than a rewrite of "Airships" from the previous album. If it's a bold new direction you are looking for, then please do not write a song built out of the exact same presets as a previous hit. "Homeward" is a very nice track but it's one that Covenant has written about 30 times already, no? I love the sound but it really isn't much to brag about creatively.

All in all, it's a pretty good album but it does nothing to resolve the "where is this freakin' scene heading?" question. While offering glimpses of brilliance it falls back too often on its predecessors and fails frequently when new ground is covered. It pains me to say that as an old fan with great respect for the artist, but I simply have to disagree with many others who I believe are overlooking flaws out of love for the artist rather than being honest with themselves. I've tried to give this album more than a fair chance, but after 20+ listens I just can't kid myself any longer. Generally I applaud it when bands try to do something new, but in this case they didn't have the guts to go nearly far enough. They got caught in between taking an artistic stand and giving us what they thought we wanted... an unpleasant compromise.
... Read more

Originally a Goth-flavored post-punk outfit, the Cure evolved into one of the truly seminal bands of the '80s, and ultimately one of modern rock's most celebrated and influential acts. Guided by creative visionary Robert Smith, the Cure's signature sound balances a dreamy pop savvy with a dark, brooding majesty and fuses superbly crafted, literate songs with a feverish emotional intensity. The band's early catalog-newly remastered and expanded wtih a wealth of rarities-is a series of masterpieces that laid the groundwork for their phenomenal and enduring popularity. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Not a good follow up
The perfect minimalism of Seventeen Seconds was a hard act to follow. Robert Smith's answer to that was to write a pretentious about religion. I guess back then one had to deal with the demons of Catholicism. Now England is very secular and this theistic world seems very remote. When I first heard this album I probably only liked the U.K. hit "Primary" which they used to play a lot on KROQ too. I liked the emotion of the songs "The Holy Hour" and "All Cats Are Grey." But now listening to them this stuff seems childish and them just trying to hard. I remember at the time Crass and Public Image Limited tried to make statements about religion, and although they seemed powerful at the time, they are laughable now. While this album is a whole just as all their albums are, it yielded another standout track "Other Voices." The Cure also started wearing more makeup and hairspray at this time. Their new discovery of the funereal had an outward manifestation. Albums used to be short back in those days, so this CD offers the original, eight-song album on the first disc, along with "Carnage Visors," originally the B-side for the cassette version of Faith, on CD for the first time. The 15-song bonus disc includes four previously unreleased songs, and live performances from 1980-1981. Most of this stuff is rough. The live tracks from Faith are worthwhile. One of their best early songs "Charlotte Sometimes" was left off the album. That was a mistake.

Utter Perfection
Sleek. Streamlined. Minimalist. Incredibly beautiful and surprisingly varied. Faith manages to capture the Cure at their creative peak. From start to finish, this album is nothing short of perfection. The words and vocals, the music, the production and engineering - they all fall right into place. Nearly all these songs can be considered Cure classics ( for the fans of the band who prefer the darker, more serious Cure to the upbeat, more pop oriented side). Primary. Other Voices. The Funeral Party. And my personal favourite The Drowning Man. All incredible.This remastered and expanded edition sounds terrific as well, which is icing on the cake. The original cd issue on the Elektra label just didn't sound quite right. There was distortion in many of the basslines, and the keyboards sounded hollow and tinny. This version corrects those mastering mistakes. The synths are warm and rich in tone, and the highs and lows in the mix are much easier on the ear. Granted, the subject matter isn't exactly "upbeat" but the messages areimportant, and certainly open to interpretation. Listen to the final, title track. The last words - "there's nothing left but faith" - can be seen as a sign of defeat or of hope, depending on how it is taken. The extras on the bonus disc are a revelation, tracking the evolution of the songs on Faith, from listening to the demos, the songs in their rawest form,to hearing the live versions, where they are performed with complete conviction, if not total technical proficiency. My favourite here has to be the often bootlegged, 10 minute version of the title cut "Faith" performed in Australia and originally featured on the b-side to the Charlotte Sometimes 12" single. "This is the last song it's called Faith" Robert says. Turn the volume up very loud and you can here one lone female scream, then the count-off "one, two, three, four" and the familiar beat kicks in, the mourful bassline, and Robert's signature guitar playing. This IS the Cure.

VERY GOOD
Excellent Re-master. The first 5 tracks on CD 2 are really for those fans that are the most-obsessed. They give a very raw look at what these songs were to become. Boring for those who just want the ironed-out or live versions. I loved them as you can trace the raw elements to the finished works.

Early Masterpiece
No doubt the Cure is an essantial British band, which was responsible for at least a handful of chart hits everyone remembers like

Headlong dive into grey.
Often considered the middle of a trilogy of albums progressively darker in mood, "Faith" is an album about just that, about faith, or lack thereof.It is a stark, almost minimalist album, with Robert Smith handling keyboard as well as well as guitar duties and joined by bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Lol Tolhurst, the album is hushed, almost minimalist-- stretches where notes ring out over the light percussion background, there's little in the way of the ringing guitars that dominated the previous record, and the album is largely unaggressive in its presentation.This actually works quite to the strengths of Gallup and Tolhurst-- with the guitars and keyboards assuming a passive role, the bass is as aggressively voiced and Tolhurst's somewhat limited and minimalist technique match the music beautifully.

In fact, its a dark, funereal tone that drives the majority of this material, songs like "Holy Hour", "All Cats are Grey" and the bizarrely uplifting "The Funeral Party" don't rise in aggression above a sort of dark hazy swell, and even somewhat more aggressive pieces like the fantastic "Primary" and the title track maintain a despondent tone and a sort of hushed feel.The result is largely an album of delicate, fragile beauty, where the rare extroverted moments (the positively jangly "Doubt" and the much more aggressive "The Drowning Man") are somewhat shocking and almost out of place.

For this reissue, the remastering has, if anything added to the album a great deal-- while the record deals in hushed tones and quiet synths, there's no sense of fuzziness throughout the album courtesy of the crisp remastered sound.Again, the liner notes detail the creation of the album (in rather candid tone at that), and the reissue is filled with extra material-- the dark and bubbling (and seemingly endless at 27+ minutes) "Carnage Visors" and the great single "Charlotte Sometimes" are the gems this time around,with again a number of great live takes on material from the album and a series of demos that are interesting but ultimately unfulfilling on their own.

"Faith" is in many ways the musical equivalent of its cover-- a sort of grey album.It has a number of powerful moments, and while it can be a bit overwhelming due to its endlessly dark quality, it is a fine album.Recommended.
... Read more

Originally a Goth-flavored post-punk outfit, the Cure evolved into one of the truly seminal bands of the '80s, and ultimately one of modern rock's most celebrated and influential acts. Guided by creative visionary Robert Smith, the Cure's signature sound balances a dreamy pop savvy with a dark, brooding majesty and fuses superbly crafted, literate songs with a feverish emotional intensity. The band's early catalog-newly remastered and expanded wtih a wealth of rarities-is a series of masterpieces that laid the groundwork for their phenomenal and enduring popularity. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

This is really the best of their early stuff
IN the early 1980s The Cure released three albums that would define their musical career. Most of the ideas of all their records are contained on SEVENTEEN SECONDS (1980), FAITH (1981) and PORNOGRAPHY (1982). Every though they created a conventional album, Three Imaginary Boys (1979), Robert Smith changed the course of the band's career with the stark minimal sound of Seventeen Seconds. On bass-driven songs like "Play For Today" and "Secrets" there are barely any guitar sounds. The Cure has created a lot of space and avoided any pop clichÎs. The guitar arpeggios on "In Your House" influenced many Goth bands to follow. There are plenty of instrumentals and ghastly sounds on this record. At the time it was odd to hear and like nothing out there. This record is mostly known for the radio hit "A Forest" which sounds as fresh as ever. This music has aged well. "M" is almost like folk music in a Dylanesque way. It would almost probably be better with vocals and acoustic guitar. A sign of a great album is that there is a great song on it that wasn't a single. For this album it's "At Night." Distorted guitar was never so evocative of a mood. This re-release also includes some live performances from 1979-1980 as well as "I'm a Cult Hero" and "I Dig You," originally released under the pseudonym Cult Hero. This stuff is okay but not necessary. This might be the Cure most successful album. There is a lot of mystery and personal emotion on this record, but it's not really that Goth.

When Rhino puts out a deluxe edition, they always deliver
What's the 4-1-1?
Rhino Records have gone into The Cure vaults along with Robert Smith to bring you Deluxe Editions of two of their most memorable releases. Both are remastered and appear on CD for the first time. In addition to the complete albums, each disc comes with a bonus disc of rarities and unreleased material. Seventeen Seconds contains rarities from 1979-1980 and Faith contains rarities from 1980-1981.

Genre
Post-punk / alternative / gothic / rock

The Good
Highlights from Seventeen Seconds
Drab and dreary piano set the tone of the album on the opening instrumental cut "A Reflection". Eerie background tones help underscore the track. "Play for Today is made up of an up-tempo drum beat, glassine-like keyboards, and watery guitar tones. An infectious little guitar hook goes a long way on "In Your House". I would liken the tone of the song to a hazy dream. "A Forest" employs haunting tones and melodies, backed by thought-provoking lyrics. Fuzzy guitar tones and creepy synths dominate "At Night". Seventeen Seconds" sums up the last moments of your life after committing suicide.

The rarities disc contains "I'm a Cult Hero" and "I Dig You" from Robert Smith's side project Cult Hero. It's more hopeful than any of the tracks Smith penned for The Cure. There are two rough home demos, an alternate mix for Three, and live tracks for every song that appears on the album; even a live version of "I'm a Cult Hero".

Highlights from Faith
" The Holy Hour" begins with a rather indulgent bass line. Robert Smith blends in nicely with his clean guitar tones and his trademark tortured vocals. Driving rhythms run rampant on "Primary". The track is more up-tempo than the usual Cure track, but the story being told is no much on the up-side. Percussion accented by warm keyboard tones prevail on "All Cats are Grey". Smith seems off in the distance as he inflicts his eerie vocals. I wasn't really surprised that church organ tones could be heard throughout "Funeral Party". To keep the mood going, Robert sings like his delivering a eulogy.

The rarities disc contains the unreleased tracks "Drowning", "Going Home Time", "The Violin Song", and "A Normal Story", two raw instrumental demos of "Faith", "The Holy Hour" and "Doubt", live tracks of songs from the Faith album to include a ten minute version of "Faith" and a nine minute version of "Forever", the rare single "Charlotte Sometimes, and an alternate version of "Primary" among it's fifteen tracks.

The Bad
Nothing

The Verdict
When Rhino Records puts together a Deluxe Edition, they always deliver the goods. Not only are you getting rare and unreleased material, which is always a plus, but you're also getting to hear the songs at their best possible quality. It's fun to hear how they went to rough demo to final composition. All of the depressing, sad, and heart-broken moments of your youth can be summed up by the latest remasters by The Cure.

Did You Know?
Rhino has also released The Cure's Pornography as a two CD deluxe addition. I would have reviewed it but after listening to these two, I was ready to slit my wrists.

Rapid evolution, emotional minimalism
The difference between their first album and their second is amazing, and the band's decision to ignore "marketing" concepts in favor of the art itself really paid off. Don't believe the reviews out there that say "A Forest" is the only memorable track; this album has a lot of other strong tracks that I've come to know through their live versions, recorded years later on Show and Paris.

This album makes excellent use of emotional minimalism, similar perhaps to groups like old-school Goth groups like Bauhaus and Joy Division, though aiming more for a subdued and introspective result. Again I think of the music put out by The Police around the same time, particularly Regatta de Blanc. Both albums were significant leaps out of punk rock origins, moving towards more esoteric, psychological, and metaphysical pieces to come.

I just got the album today, so I'm still making my way through the bonus tracks. They are interesting as development pieces; some of them are fairly bootleg-like in sound quality, but they are worth having, as they show the evolution of the songs and give you an appreciation of the band's creative process.

Wrapped up in perfect cover art
This is an awesome, moody little album that fits right in today with the slew of bands going after the early-80s 'post-punk' sound.This disc marks the first of a masterful trilogy that continues with Faith and Pornography.

The Cure are famous for being gloomy, and this album backs it up, but it's not heavy or depressing and it never gets to be too much.Quite the opposite.Some songs are slower, like In Your House, while other like Play For Today (the first track after the instrumental opening) open up with an electronic calling in the back and a punchy little rhythm, immediately catchy, and the perfect length.Three, meanwhile, has the feeling of a dark jingle.At Night has a slow, fuzzy opening and a steady beat, sounding a little like a dark Police.The classic track A Forest sounds even richer in the remastered format.There's the classic Cure guitar, the bobbing basslines, some swishy help from the keyboards in the background to lend that gray atmosphere...it sounds like 1980, it's spot-on.This and Faith and complimented by absolutey appropriate cover art--they just sound like the covers, frankly, a wash of muted colors here, followed by the mysterious gray and faint scribbling of Faith.

Just an addictive album of good songs, with Smith's voice never overbearing, never too much whining, and some very fine singing.Pornography would bring the band to a darker place, with its far more depressed quality.Seventeen Seconds is getting there, but it's minor-key poppy with some very good production.Cure addicts may break it down more in terms of band lineups, but I find the whole release an excellent effort.

Quite frankly, better than most of the bands out there who were in diapers when this was released, you may as well check out the original thing.And at 30-odd minutes, it's the old style of complete, quality beginning-to-end albums perfect for a slow day at home, preferably in the middle of the week when it's raining.

The new Cure remastereds are excellent, a real value for fans.For one, the sound is vastly improved--just compare any track on here, but especially 'A Forest', with your old AAD disc--big difference.The bass is bigger, punchier, the sounds are all clearer and brought up front.The older, unremastered rock albums really do suffer with the original CD format--everything is flattened right out to the middle, while the new discs bring much-needed oomph to everything.The second disc is full of goodies, from demos to live versions of nearly the entire album in great sound quality.And of course, nice liner notes with actual notes, old pictures, the whole job.Quality re-release in this era of downloading, however, it must be said that these sets are BIT on the pricey side, but will likely be a must for fans of this album (and the following two).

A beginning.
With the exit of bassist Michael Dempsey and his replacement by Simon Gallup and the addition of a keyboard player (Matthieu Hartley), Robert Smith finally had the pieces he needed to begin developing his sound.While since hampered by the technically limited Lol Tolhurst (drums), "Seventeen Seconds" surrenders the jaunty off kilter punk-pop of the band's debut for a more melancholy sound, easily evidenced by the guitar and piano duet instrumental that opens the album ("A Reflection").While the album is probably not as strong as either the debut or the material that would come after, it stands well enough on its own.

The impact of Simon Gallup on the Cure cannot be expressed clearly enough, his presence is easily noted throughout the record, and the best material on the album (the haunting "Play For Today", the unnervingly brilliant "A Forest") all is pushed from behind by Gallup's assertive and confident basslines.

One of the problems with the album though is that it tends to fall into a sort of mid-tempo malaise (the superb "M" being the most notable exception), with mechanical drumming ("In Your House", "Three"), often inaudible vocals ("Secrets"), and abrupt and unnerving cut offs ("The Final Sound", "Seventeen Seconds").Still, even with its flaws, the record is really a dramatic shift and a great signpost for the future.

As with the rest of this series of reissues, the sound is fantastic-- "Seventeen Seconds" really benefits from the cleaned up sound.The bonus disc is full of interesting material, I could take or leave the Cult Hero stuff, I'm happy to have it, but quite honestly, it sounds like its sung by a postman (which it is), the demos again are very intriguing (much more guitar driven) and interesting from a historical perspective, but not really the kind of thing you'd sit and listen to.The live material fares better, with many pieces getting readings far superior to the album versions ("Seventeen Seconds" stands out in particular).

Like "Three Imaginary Boys", this is a beginning for the band-- they'd do better things in the future, but this is a good album and well worth investigating.
... Read more

As Greatest Hits--and particularly the busking pavement jazz of"Lovecats"--reminds us, the best Cure singles were very often tangentialexercises; they offered a goth-free playtime divergence from some of theweightier studiousness of those early albums. Or, as smudged frontman RobertSmith says of this 18-track collection, "Songs that are sung with a smile." Thiswasn't always true--witness the refrigerated fogginess of the classic "AForest," the Blair Witch Project of its day. What this compilation doesis focus attention on the Cure's perennial unpredictability--the breathlessclaustrophobia of "Close to Me," the New Order-lite of "The Walk," the brass- section embellished thrust of "Why Can't I Be You." Oddly, chart-wise, theCure's lost weekend began immediately after "Friday I'm in Love," their mostebullient melodic moment and the ultimate "clocking-off to kick those heels"anthem. But at least the inclusion of two new songs, "Cut Here" and "Just SayYes" (with Saffron from Republica), indicate that the Cure remain a healthy,ongoing concern.--Kevin Maidment ... Read more

Reviews (56)

What's the point???
The Cure have already put out one of the most celebrated best-of's of the rock era, "Staring At The Sea", covering all the singles from their 1979-1985 period (definitely the fans' favorite era). They followed it up a few years back with an admirable companion, "Galore", which picked up where the previous volume left off. Those two CD's give you every single the Cure released up through 1997. I would suggest picking those two up and leaving this one (which only scrapes together a few choice selections from those albums and throws in two new songs) in the dust. If "Greatest Hits" at least contained two of their biggest breakthrough hits from "Disintegration" ("Fascination Street" and "Pictures of You"), I could recommend it for an ultra-casual fan, but without those two songs it barely merits mention. It doesn't even contain anything from "Bloodflowers", their last stuido album, the only one not covered on "Staring At The Sea" or "Galore". The completist will want it for the two new songs (what a [bad move] move by the band and the record company), but for the casual fan, get the previous two compilations and enjoy!

THE POINT TO THIS GREATEST HITS ALBUM BEING RELEASED....
In August, 2004 - the Cure will be coming out with remastered versions of 'Pornography', 'Faith', 'Seventeen Seconds', & then they will possibly move on to remastering their latter albums

This greatest hits album, is remastered - Robert Smith knew he wanted his Cure albums remastered, which is why he decided to come out with another greatest hits album to kick off the remastered versions of the Cure's albums, everything more clear now?

Now if you're actually looking for a review on the album - get it, pick it up , awesome music... of course, it's from one of the greatest bands ever

please!
The reason for my low grade is that they already released two greatest hits albums which are both better than this one. Besides, The Cure's appeal isn't just amazing melodies, it's that dreamy, beautiful layered sound they have, and creating a certain mood. Perhaps it's better for the casual listener to get a greatest hits thing just to get a feel for the styles and evolution of the band before they get something like, say Seventeen Seconds which requires some patience before that "cure understanding" sinks in...but there's not even anything from Pornography on here, so you might as well get Staring at the Sea first, like I did. When I got that one, my first taste of the Cure, I loved every song on it but I still found it kind of an awkward listen, because all the different styles sounded wierd together. Still love it though, because it depicted the Cure as they were and still are, a creative, versatile band who aren't afraid to experiment with a vast array of styles and moods. But anyway, Greatest hits albums aside (it really doesn't matter that much which one you get...it's just preference), to me The Cure has always been an album-band. Their individual albums are probably the reason they have such a huge following. Some of them, like Disintegration are like a spiritual experience of some kind, and I know I'm not alone in my feelings about this. The acoustic disc is pretty cool though.

Average
There are some songs that do deserve to make the cut of greatest hits on that cd but tell me here where is "The Kiss" and "The Hanging Garden" tow ultimate deserving songs. Dissppointing over all

"Fascination Street" should have been on here!
I was wondering why would they put a Greatest Hits album four years after they already did one in 1997. But this album goes back to 1979 and moves forward to 2001. Very dynamic album all the way through and I like "A Forest" from 1980 just as well as the songs I've heard from them since 1987. "Lullaby" has such a funky beat that I'm sure some hip-hop artist will sample it for a song. I still love "Love Song" to this day, even 311's recent remake is no contest to the original. It has that '60s feel to it, but keeps a modern 1989 feel all throughout. I wished that they'd put "Fascination Street" on here--that rumbling bass guitar just drives that song and it would have fit on the album. "Just Like Heaven" and "Friday I'm In Love" have nearly the same identical sound and pace. "Wrong Number" shows that they could ride on that electronica sound quite well. They can do dark-themed songs so well, yet make them seem upbeat without that depression feel that Depeche Mode does. They got experimental on the later releases, but their knack for catchy songs, strong guitar leads, and dramatic rhythm sections are what have made them a superb band. Robert Smith's singing had lots of range to it and he delivered on all of the band's songs. The Cure are going to be talked about for a very long time!
... Read more

Nine Inch Nails are a pretty amazing phenomenon when one considers what they--um, he--have done with just a few studio recordings. The Downward Spiral, NIN's second full-length album, is just as packed with vitriol as Pretty Hate Machine and the EP Broken--and has just as solid a base of pop hooks that go a long way toward explaining NIN's popularity. Most recognizable is the down-tempo single "Closer," which remains a staple of dance clubs everywhere. But for the most part, the album is all heavy beats and aggressive guitars--industrial music with a pop angle. That winning combination is what makes Trent Reznor a law unto himself, becoming insanely popular while the main body of industrial music retains its subculture status. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (471)

One of essential 90s records
Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails is something of a cultural phenomenon. While being a fairly abrasive industrial act with a touch of underground flavor, it still had all the attention of the masses (that is, until Marylin Manson showed up on stage), and gained popularity that most other bands will never see even in their dreams. This album is NIN's best so far, it represents Reznor's creativity well and shows what this is all about.

Having both feet planted firmly in the legacy of industrial gods Ministry, Nine Inch Nails managed to add all the popular influences of the era to this timeless classic. One thing that's clearly audible is a bow towards grunge. I'll even go as far as calling this record "Nirvana plays in a steels factory".

Describing this album is pointless. It has to be heard. It combines angst, sadness, frustration, fun and violence, all in one. These feelings aren't in the lyrics alone, they also shine through every instrumental track and sample out there. Playing, programming and overall execution is superb, absolute perfection. This is a top-notch industrial metal album, one of the 4 CDs that define the genre (also included Ministry "Psalm 69", Fear Factory "Demanufacture" and White Zombie "Astro Creep 2000"). Unless you are allergic to hard-hitting music, or grunge-styled lyrics, you'll want to buy this record.

And in case you were wondering, yes, I think this Trent Reznor's record alone is by far superior to anything Marylin Manson (Reznor's creation, by the way) ever put out.

Not music, ART
This album is truly life-changing! One of the most uncompromising albums ever, it took me over a year of constant listening (i just didn't get it the first time i heard it) until i finally realized its genius. I hated it, i was truly offended by the lyrics and evil-sounding music, but in the end discovered that these are what makes the album great. i have yet to hear anything so angry and full of despair and pure pain (next in line would be BROKEN, also by nin). this leaves no doubt in my mind that trent is crazy or really (mad), not just faking it. it still disturbs and provokes me, and i hear some new sounds every time i listen to it. so deep and intricate. unlike a typical electronic album, nin doesn't abandon guitars (the amazing solo on "ruiner") or bass (good basslines throughout, including "piggy", "mr. self destruct", etc) OR even drums (half the songs have significant percussion intros or elsewhere, especially the fantastic work at the end of "piggy"). some of the most genuinely creepy and abrasive sounds you will ever hear. every song is different, every song is important, and as most know its a concept album which takes the listener on a sick twisted journey through the spiral of hell! every song is like its own demented world that creates unbearable tension and a variety of feelings. the ONLY time i ever listen to it is at night, all the lights off, laying in bed just really hearing it... it actually doesn't sound that good in the daytime as a "car album" or something... TRY IT, it actually left me scared at night when i first did it! anyways, THE FRAGILE is fantastic but trent will never outdo this. this album stands as a masterpiece that captured the purest of all the most loathable creepy-crawly feelings wrapped into genius songwriting talent and a sonic explosion that has yet to be paralleled! good listening!

hot topic ??? the nirvana of industrial music
you call this crap music, my grandma makes better... get into real music with real guitars not this satanic techno crap... try children of bodom, pink floyd, or the cars if you want nice keyboard

Don't expect anything.
This is not an industrial CD. This is not a rock CD. This is not a pop CD. Those who would hate TDS do so because they listen to it expecting it to sound like something else. Read the reviews, either it's someone complaining that they only liked "Closer" and the rest sucked, or that NIN pales compared to "other" industrial groups.

If ever a CD could be considered an audio suicide note, this may very well be it. The lyrics are not always the most creative, but they will hit you harder than any others. I believe the strongest segment of the CD lies in three songs: Ruiner, The Becoming, and I Do Not Want This. These songs so fiercely cast the world away and place Trent deep in his mind that I found it actually difficult to listen to them at certain times.

Unlike so many other groups of ANY genre, Trent has no problem with using absolutely everything at his disposal to create a sound he wants. He won't limit himself to slow bass grooves, chorused pianos, or a distorted guitar when the mood calls for it. And therein lies the greatest strength of the CD as a whole: not only do the words perfectly capture his emotion, but the sounds as well. The blistering noise while he screams "Don't you tell me how I feel", the quiet vulnerability of the final notes of Hurt (I personally think the Quiet version is better, the final chords here are a little too harsh), every note and every sound is specificall engineered to put across EXACTLY the emotion Trent wants.

I believe "Closer" to be the dividing point of the CD. Those who prefer the more "predictable" songs will most likely listen to the first half only. From "Ruiner" onward, the CD takes on the tone of someone whose mind is falling apart, until the title track. "Hurt" itself is an epilogue to the story.

The other beautiful part of TDS is that unlike most "angst-rock" groups, Trent's anger is just as directed toward himself as the rest of the world, if not more so. As said, "Closer" is a confession to weakness, not a random misogynist club song. Read the lyrics. Much of the hatred felt here is toward the self, which is probably why it resonates so deeply with so many. And more so than that, it sounds genuine. Few artists create music that sounds like it was made with little concern for the fans and record sales, and when a CD sells this many copies it may be hard to believe that this could apply, but it does. Even fans of Burn and PHM found this to be a shock.

A masterpiece, and a story. Listen without any preconceived notions of what NIN is and you'll find yourself enthralled. 10/10

Not what you think
People always seem to not realize that this album is not something that you just listen to for "Closer". It is a concept album based on one's depression and his degredation through sex, drugs, rejection of religion, and other things where you see them. The whole album is just a novel of sorts...

mr self destruct- the table of contents, an epilogue of what's to come.

piggy- the real beginning IMO, the place where everything starts to come apart

heresy- ok, you must understand that this is part of the spiral and not a real f-you to religion, but the character is saying there can't be a God for all this to happen to him

march of the pigs- the character blows off society

closer-the character uses sex as a crutch to lift himself out of depression...he tries to get closer to God

ruiner-again the depression screws up everything that he picked up through "closer", and nothing can stop him now

the becoming-the character becomes someone else, not him...you can say he's finally posessed and powerless

i do not want this-just listen Trent and the depression are in dialogue with each other...again "he wants to do something that matters" as the lyrics quote...

then it gets crazy!!!

big man with a gun-about violation and overpowering through sex, shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot as the lyrics say

a warm place-the morning after "big man with a gun" he finds solace after the sexual assault in the previous track

eraser-basically about self-rejection

reptile-again degredation through sex though even more severe...relates to prostitution

the downward spiral-the character is fed up with his problems..he imagines what it would be like to kill himself..

hurt- the finally undoing, the only thing that's real is the pain he feels from the suicide...(if i could start again, a million miles away, i would keep myself, i would find a way)

i suggest reading the lyrics in the booklet while listening to the album on headphones....in the booklet the pictures gradually get more and more violent, then you'll see the overall point of the album..

in it's form, i really have to say that this is one of the best concept albums ever...that's why i have to give it 5 stars, listen it to it ALL the way through and you won't be disappointed
... Read more

As a placeholder between the full-length Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral, Broken packs a serious punch. Angrier and less poppy than Machine, this EP is full of noisy hooks, if such a thing is possible (check out that guitar riff on the full-throttle "Wish"), and much closer aesthetically to the industrial subgenre that informs Trent Reznor's music. As song titles like "Help Me I Am in Hell" suggest, Broken is a work of undiluted rage, which is, of course, a big part of its appeal. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (200)

Can't get much more intense than Broken
This Broken EP is the one to play if you are in anger. But it's very amazing. It will even scare you. Going from the emotional Help Me I Am In Hell going slower than the others, it then gets to Happiness In Slavery. That will scare you the first time you hear it.

And you'd be used to NIN having such soft songs. Broken uses a trend no other NIN album managed to do. No synths, no piano. But it's still great. And I love synths. But this isn't the mood for it. And you will probably find yourself head banging to Wish the day that you feel like your stupid. Then there's Gave Up before the hidden tracks, about losing your strength. It doesn't hold up for as much emotion as The Fragile but is still great.

I love the first hidden track, Physical, the cover of an Adam Ant song. You'll probably be addicted to it. And it IS addictive. Watch out though. There's a trick: There'll be a thing that makes you think there's 99 tracks when 91 of them are really left blank, those being seven through 97.

The only flaw is that it's barely longer than 33 minutes. It could have been much longer. Add this to your NIN collection if you are a beginner in collecting. mainly if you love more of the metal music. This is where they were called "metal" from. Join the ride like no other.

A Clamorous Smash of Affliction and Angst
Broken is the second NIN cd I purchased following the dark masterpiece that is "The Downward Spiral". It is 33+ minutes of raw torment and carnage all twisted and tied up into a bondage of an EP. The emotions of Halo 5 are genuine and pure, inspired by Reznor's feud and hatred with TVT records. Each song is capable of representing sheer power and strength in sound while the instrumental tracks provide some peaceful yet depressing insights in between periods of onslaught and rage. The two bonus tracks are interesting but lacks some character and focus of the first six.

Standout Tracks: Happiness in Slavery & Gave UpAs each song procedes the previous, the adrenaline and intensity is heightened. Thus, the last two tracks [excluding the bonus material] represent the climax of Broken. Combining heavy guitar riffs with loud, innovative synths; surprisingly enough, Happiness in Slavery comes off extremely catchy. Gave Up is my favorite track on this CD. With its hopeless lyrics and distortion, it certainly leaves the listener on a high note. Gave Up also appeals to me as a faster version of Wish. As Reznor screams through the chorus, he sounds like a racing demon on speed.

Broken is the next step up from the phenomenal debut "Pretty Hate Machine". It is anything but a "placeholder" described by Genevieve Williams. The song "Wish" won Reznor a Grammy and it elevated NIN's popularity. My only complaint about "Broken" is its length, as it leaves the audience with a bit of emptyness. However, having a full album of hate anthems might bring this precious gem to a bore real fast...

- aZnXgIn

OMG
oh the rage...oh the rage....when your record company upsets you..

what do you do..put the swerve on em

standouts: wish, happiness in slavery

Overrated
Broken is incredibly angry for NIN, considering that they tend to prefer angst to anger. However, the CD falls victim to the fact that it frequently lacks flow and in many cases it gets overly abbrasive.

First song (an instrumental) leads into the secon, "Wish." This is the best song on the CD, and it is actually very good. Incredibly catchy and it avoids Trent's overuse of the loud-soft-loud-soft dynamic. It flows well, avoids being jerky and manages to actually be entertaining. Try getting that guitar hook out of your head!

The second track of note on this CD is "Happiness In Slavery." The track is very complex, and has wonderfully morbid lyrics. However, the track falls down owing to two factors. The first is that it lacks continuity. It seems like it lurches between a Frontline Assembly track and a PHM era NIN track. This in turn causes the song to lack catchiness and continuity. The second problem is that it again follows the awful loud-soft-loud-soft gimmick.

The other songs are all somewhat unremarkable.

Overall, Broken showed Trent's skill increase, and NIN still sounds incredibly unique. However, the overall sound can get as bad as an in-sink garbage disposal with a guitar over the top. And even Frontline Assembly have somemelody in their tracks.

Short on songs, long on quality
This is more of an EP than an LP. But what it lacks in length, it certainly more than makes up for in intensity. "Broken" packs a punch and I like it more than "The Downward Spiral" or "The Fragile" -- at least at times when I crave very angry music. (The other two are more very good and diverse collections but just aren't the 100% pure angry energy that "Broken" is.)

If you're not a NIN fan, you many not connect with this album. I'd recommend "Pretty Hate Machine" as the NIN primer for those new to the band, and I'd recommend this one for the NIN fan who just wants some primal anger and energy.
... Read more

Shirley Manson (now of Garbage) could be the perkier kid sister of Siouxsie Sioux on, "Suffocate Me," then masquerade as vintage Deborah Harry on, "King of the World."Producers (and Talking Heads alumni) Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth are along for extra period authenticity.--Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Shirley was just as good before Garbage!
I love Garbage and now I love Angelfish though they only have one album out and have broken up. I first found about Angelfish on this cool site about Shirley Manson (go to yahoo.com and in the search space type "Shirley Manson" the site will be called Greenday vs. Shirley Manson). I must admire Shirley's talent to sound like Deborah Harry of Blondie on "King of the World". And she just sounds plain cool on "Suffocate Me". Her ability to sound different shows on this album. If you like Garbage just one bit, you should get this album Note: I don't think the album's sold in any music stores any more. It's best to get it over the I-net if your interested.

It's Shirley Manson Like you've never heard her before...
This is a good, solid pop album. It lacks the super sheen of Garbage which in some ways is a relief, I would have been dissapointed if this had been a carbon copy of manson's present band. All the songs on Angelfish are easy to listen to and lack the supersonic punches of Garbage, which is pretty good and makes for happy listening. Standout tracks are 'Dogs in a Cage' 'mummy can't drive' and 'The sun won't shine'. A very pleasing album, kinda like a chocolate liquor- very sweet but you know it's got to be bad for you.

Great album
Angelfish sounds alot like Garbage (actually, Garbage sounds like Angelfish, right?), however is doesn't have a massive production upon it. This is exactly what makes it great. The songs are simple and very melodious. Besides the obvious hit "Suffocate Me", the best songs in my opinion are "Sun Won't Shine" and "Sleep With Me" -- beautiful and subtle. Since I'm a huge Garbage fan, I recommend this CD for everyone.

A wonderful album & band before Shirley took out the Garbage
When one singer leaves their original band to join another & wind up having much larger success than before, it can leave that previous group in the dust to be forgotten for all time. But in the case of Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson, her old band Angelfish had just as much potential and talent to make it on their own before Garbage's future members saw the band's video on MTV, and at last found their frontwoman. As Shirley went on to multiplatinum glories with Garbage, Angelfish's self-titled 1993 debut (and only album) still stands alone as its own singularly fine work.

Stylistically, ANGELFISH leans more towards Garbage's 1995 self-titled debut with its more guitar-based rock textures than the highly-polished techno flourishes of 1998's VERSION 2.0 & 2001's BEAUTIFULGARBAGE. This is mostly thanks to the producership of husband-and-wife duo Chris Frantz & Tina Weymouth (both formerly of Talking Heads). In fact, ANGELFISH could be in the vein of the Heads' first album from before Brian Eno was brought into commercialize them. In any event, ANGELFISH is a rocking good time displaying all the qualities that would help make Shirley's work with Garbage such a rousing success.

Charging out of the gates at the beginning is the sexy, glam-rock come-on of "Dogs In A Cage". David Bowie would have given his eyeteeth for a song like this in his DIAMOND DOGS days, but Shirley is just as alluring in her come-on. Who knew that such a dark, yet strangely inviting Scottish lass like Shirley could be so seductive?

The rock continues on a cover of Holly & The Italians' "You Can Love Her" (love that drum intro), "King Of The World" (who said a female singer has to use "queen" in the title), and "Mummy Can't Drive" (this is a woman you may not want to bring home to the parents). While Shirley may have been the obvious breakout star of the group, Angelfish the band are given ample opportunities to shine on these revved-up ditties. Frantz & Weymouth must have told the group to just play live & not let overdubs get in the way, hence the raw, ballsy performance they give to these tunes.

However, ANGELFISH is mostly an album somber in mood & slinky in its instrumentation. "Suffocate Me" is another song that is so flat-out sexy, it's a wonder that it can come off that way in the cool & detached (but no so much to forsake all emotion) voice of Shirley. "Heartbreak To Hate", "Tomorrow Forever" & "The End" have her & Angelfish turning out goodbye ballads that even at their most Bic-lighter-waving moments have enough volume to place them above sappiness. On the other hand, my favorite song off the album "Sleep With Me" follows that method of slow-and-steady-wins-the-race, but with a much happier outcome in the end. Deep down inside, Shirley just might look an ice queen on the outside, but it doesn't take much to melt her facade to get to the heart of gold.

ANGELFISH may not have set the charts on fire with its release, but it apparently did well enough for a video to reach MTV & catch the eyes of the members of Garbage, in need of an eyecatching frontperson to take them to the top. Better yet, while most famous musicians' pre-fame groups may worth mentioning for curiosity issues, Shirley Manson & Angelfish happily turned out an album that had all the potential to being a breakout success in itself.

Hopefully, those music fans who have been won over by Garbage's body of work will seek out Angelfish's lone album to see that Shirley Manson not only had talent to spare beforehand, but with a group that could best be described as Garbage with an extra dose of testosterone (apologies to Shirley). A liberal amount of production gloss may have boosted Garbage into the stratosphere, but Angelfish shows it could have succeeded on its raw talent alone had the public had wider-open ears.

Not Garbage....
Like many who have already reviewed this album, I too was interested in this album due to Shirley Manson's part in it.

At first, I must say, I wasn't much into the music of Angelfish; but after a few listens I definately started to latch onto it. I'd actually have to say, that some of these songs remind me of Blondie.

The lyrics are morbidly up-beat, and the music itself is quite catchy. I'd give this album a try...
... Read more

Disintegration is a pop album realized on an epic scale. Most of its 12 songs are long mood pieces that develop slowly around the listener. Anchored by complex drum patterns, the layered guitars, soaring bass lines, and rich keyboards blend to create a lush, evocative soundscape that captures the ear immediately; and for all its length, the album is never boring. The lyrical focus is intensely personal throughout, and, with the exception of "Love Song," the mood is overwhelmingly dark and brooding. Here are songs of remembrance that, through their deep candor, transcend the individual level to explore universal longings and fears. Robert Smith, his vocals plaintive or angry or despairing, unfolds a tapestry of loss. Broken bonds, old lies, missed opportunities, belated realizations. Anyone who has experienced the joy and sorrow--especially the sorrow--of love will find his or her deepest sentiments, noble and petty alike, echoed poetically here. --Al Massa ... Read more

Reviews (208)

Disintegration is the best album ever¿.
Disintegration is the best album ever....

God bless the boys from South Park. Kyle may have gotten it right. This album is epic. Before this record The Cure's music was underground club type music, and fit very nicely in the "post-punk" label. The music on this record has an incredibly beautiful melancholy to it. Most of the songs have a slow tempo and just ooze with a dark moodiness that makes you feel. I don't know that it can make everyone feel the same, but it will definitely make you feel.

The songs are a bit long, but that is not a bad thing as each is beautifully orchestrated. There is no filler in this record, and actually some of The Cure's best work is on this album. "Pictures Of You", "Love Song", "Lullaby", "Fascination Street", and "Prayers For Rain" are probably the best songs, but every song is incredible. Overall it's as bleak as any album I've ever heard, and it is painfully intimate. It's one I simply can't stop listening to, despite the dark melancholy of the music.

This is The Cure album for people that aren't even Cure fans. You don't have to be into moody, gothic, synthpop to appreciate just how great this record is. The album is nearly 12 years old, and doesn't sound dated at all. The material is still fresh, timeless. Enjoying this record is simply a beautiful experience.

My favorite album of all time
At the time of the recording of Disintegration, the Cure were just beginning to be noticed in the U.S. as a result of several minor hits off of their "Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me" album in the late 80s. 1989, the year Disintegration was recorded and released, was not a particularly good year in Robert Smith's life, so he naturally wasn't going to be making music akin to the poppy, upbeat, Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me sound. When he first played the new album in front of a test audience, it was met with some mild applause, but mostly disappointing silence. Smith thought he'd committed career suicide and had chosen the worst possible way to follow Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me. Little did he realize at the time that he and his band had created a masterpiece, which would go on to be the Cure's best-selling album as well as my favorite album of all time.

From the majestic opening of "Plainsong" to the closing chords of "Untitled", Disintegration is a beautiful, very cohesive masterpiece. Lush keyboards, soothing bass lines, complex drum patterns, and absolutely amazing guitar lines create a beautiful, melancholic atmosphere that totally envelops the listener. Backing it all up are Robert Smith's reedy, plaintive vocals, which are phenomenally emotional, passionate, and sincere. With few exceptions, the songs on Disintegration hover for gorgeously extended lengths of time, taking their time to unravel and inspire awe. Every single one of them is wondrous work of art, and their consistency in quality and theme is amazing. The album is 72 minutes long, and there is not one minute of filler. That statement, plus the fact that this album has only received three negative reviews out of 197, should speak volumes about the quality of Disintegration.

This album is simply the best thing I've ever heard. If you have patience, an open mind, and the desire to experience something simply and utterly beautiful, Disintegration is for you.

Wonderful
I purchased a copy of this album on vinyl in 1990 and used it to soothe my soul after a particularly difficult breakup with a girlfriend of mine. For a year I did nothing but listen to this album (along with Joy Division) and it really helped me get through some tough times. "Pictures of You" has got to be one of the most powerful and sad songs ever.

I hadn't listened to it in over 12 years when I bought a used copy of the CD recently - and to my surprise I found that it was as moody, beautiful and wonderful as ever. It hasn't aged at all. This is one of those CDs you can put on in your player and just hit replay forever. It really took me back to a time in my life where I was going through a lot of hurt - and it still has a restorative and theraputic power that amazes me.

Haunting Perfection
As novelists and poets may know, if your aim is to write something that will cause tears well up in the eyes of readers, you must be crying as you write every word. The emotional power and pain in this album may very well cause a tightening in the back of an attentive listener's throat. Easily respected as a great album in the popular musical canon, this album is, quite easily, my favourite album released by a popular musical artist. The album opens within a windswept tunnel of heartache and love, with, "Plainsong" musing about the morbid beauty in a girl whose candle of life has been blown out, and who embraces with love and smiles at the thought of her death and emotional drowning. This beggining track segues into the single, "Pictures of You," of equally depressing substance, as we are reminded memories are the only permanence with the passing of time. "Closedown" is a poignant track in which Robert Smith wails in painful desire to feel love that isn't frought with human vice. "Lovesong" needs no formal introduction, being one of the most successful Cure singles worldwide. I attribute the success of this eerily touching, and appropriately named track, to its simplicity. It is Robert Smith's way of simply and directly saying, "I love you". "Last Dance" is a track about the waning enchantment in life as it progresses and we grow older. "Lullaby" is a haunting proto-Gothic classic, singing of the infamous "candy-striped leg" spiderman coming and eating dear Robert, who feels like a fly caught in a sticky web of gloom. "Fascination Street" offers a second-to-none baseline, and some of the catchiest guitar music on the album. "Prayers for Rain" is a song of the bleakest perfection one can achieve, Robert buries you alive in a catacomb of doom and gloom with this track. "The Same Deep Water as You" has a title that is quite self-explaining; despair, love, drowning in tears, with wails loudly and sonorously echoing in a dark cave of hope. "Disintegration" is a beautiful track, poetically splattering Robert's tears of insatiable desire onto canvass of lost hope. He beautifully sings, "I miss the kiss of teachery, the shameless kiss of vanity, the soft and the black and the velvety, tight up against the side of me/ and mouth and eyes and heart all bleed and run in thickening streams of greed..." This track segues into, "Homesick," an interconnected meditation on drugs fulfilling an emptiness and subduing the heartbreaking "home"sickness: or an allusion to those things, desires, needs, we put off in our lives... opting instead to never face them with the aid of emotional dillution. The depressingly beautiful album ends in a way that feels and sounds like an upbeat, bittersweet sort of death, completing the feeling of sinking, as though in a warm dark sea, gradually embracing it, and smiling as you accept your emotional drowning.

Ethereal & Haunting, A True Classic.........
Disintegration is by far the most haunting and evocative album ever released by The Cure, and is probably the most haunting and evocative album ever released, period.

Disintegration is also the greatest work in The Cure's long and distinguished career. The album is a masterpiece of melancholy lyrics and music woven seamlessly into a sonic journey into darkness and forlorn hope.

"Plainsong" is the first track on the album, and is a promise of what's to come. Incredible synthetic sounds mix with a haunting guitar riff and ethereal vocals to make an unforgettable opening track.

"Pictures of You" has to be one of the greatest songs written by any band, let alone The Cure. The track is a seamless integration of the traditional Cure sonic "loop", where each instrument begins separately leading to a unified trademark sound. Smith's lyrics top the track, and lead us into welcome territory.

"Closedown" continues the melancholy theme of the album, and serves as a nice to segue into "Love Song", a track that is a throwback to "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me", and breaks the dark structure of the album, albeit briefly, with it's upbeat sound and lyrics. A good track that does at times seem very out of place when compared to the much more darker theme of the album as a whole. A great track nonetheless that provides a refreshing change in tempo.

"Last Dance" is a dark track that evokes the last goodbye, and the accompanying feelings of pain and desperation that come with it.

"Lullaby" combines that trademark Cure quirkiness with an interesting musical arrangement and quite dark & gothic lyrics. There is a definite feeling of morose humor popping up in this track, and does not have the same forlorn feeling of the majority of the album.

"Fascination Street" is by far the heaviest track on the album, masterfully layered with a throbbing base riff, chaotic guitars, and superb vocals by Smith. One of the best tracks on an album filled with more than its share of memorable ones.

We now come to the heart of darkness on the album. The next to tracks provide a sonic journey into a hopeless landscape, haunting beyond anything The Cure has done previously. "Prayers for Rain", a very raw and dark track, sets up what I truly believe is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written....

"Same Deep Water As You" for some reason gripped me the first moment I heard it, and in the 15 years since Disintegration has been released, has never let go. One of the most beautiful and haunting tracks that you could ever hear, yet it weaves sadness, love & loss into a seamless whole. A true masterpiece.

"Disintegration" picks up the tempo. In a way, quite welcome given the last few tracks. A very good track, if not outstanding.

"Homesick" is probably the weakest track on the album. Not memorable, but ok.

We end with "Untitled", which is probably my fourth favorite track on the album. A nice arrangement accompanied by very good songwriting. "Happy Melancholy" is the only way to describe this track, and is a perfect way to close the album, as it's not too dark, yet not upbeat either, giving quite a neutral ending to a truly great album.

Disintegration is one of those gems that in so many ways will stay timeless for years to come. By far The Cure's most popular album, it however does not a have a commercial sound in any way, with one off tracks that do not fit the structure (except maybe for "Love Song"). A masterpiece that should be in any music collection.
... Read more

A must-stock piece! Do the math, this value-laden piece features all of the tracks from BOTH the U.K. singles of 'Closer' all on one disc for just $1 more than buying one of our regularly priced import CD singles ($7.99)! 'Closer' is off the 1994 album 'The Downward Spiral'. Includes six mixes of 'Closer', a mix of the album track 'Heresy', a mix of 'March Of The Pigs' re-titled 'March Of The Fuckheads' and a cover of Soft Cell's 'Memorabilia'. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

The one that all will know...
Ok, let's face it, you're buying this disc for one of two reasons: a)you like NIN and this is a must own for your collection (and it IS) or b) you, along with those other people who like the song Closer, are just buying it because you don't want to get into NIN, but just want this one song, along with a few remixes, on a disc. Either way, the fan will be satisified. Closer to God, the opening track, is a remix of Closer. Not only is it a great track (my favorite of the cd) but it surpasses the original version. This one has a great, and catchy, drum beat, synth-lines, and guitar riff. Not only that, but some of the lyrics are different as well. The other standout track on this single is Memorbilla, a great dance track. Besides that, I won't be saying much else, because after the first listen, those tracks which I spoke of became my favorites on the single. Yet all in all, you will NOT be disappointed. But on we move...Further Down The Spiral...

even better than both the original or halo 8 themselves
I'm sure all of you have heard "Closer," NIN's most accessible (Yet their not) and poppy (But this one's not trying to be popular for $) single, in fact, one of their most poppy. This song has been put in six remixes, in which, if you're offended by that song, you'll only have room for two songs you'll actually like. Then if you're 100% strongly Christian, you may not like "Heresy", even though Trent's singning about paranoia of AIDS, but you still won't like the fact that he blames God. But those of you in any other religion and don't mind the sex-type music will *love* this.

Closer To God-- Techno metal remix of the original "Closer." At the end it has Trent screaming more, and it's better than the original instead. It doesn't have those "help me" parts either.

"deviation" mix-- This one's weird, but not for the average party-goer. Part of it reminds me of "Into the void", even though THIS was from the TDS-era.

the "further away" remix is the only song whis maxi-single could've gone with out. It gets a bit repetitive. But it's not that bad.

the "internal" remix is another excellor, so I can't fairly describe it. Also, same for the "precursor", which is aptly named. It also reminds me of "Into the Void" a bit.

What's left? A cover of Soft Cell's "Memorablia", MOTP remix retitiled "March of the f---heads" (Stompy remix indeed), and a 'blind' mix of "Heresy," in which has a lot of keyboards and disstortion and you can barely hear the words.

So at $... (Actually, where I bought it, $...), it's a reasonable-enough price to where if you hated it, you won't even give it a one-star. After all, it's pretty good as far as music quality.

Too Much Closer for my Taste, But It Has Some Nice Extras
I'll just first state the obvious, this has too many remixes of Closer. And I'll state the obvious once again, why did I buy it to begin with if I didn't want a bunch of Closer remixes? Well let me tell you. I was obsessed with Nine Inch Nails for about a year and was one of those unfortunate souls that feels the need to "collect all the halo's". I've moved on now, honest I have, The NIN are still great, but hopefully now I can help you, the fledgling Nine Inch Nails fan, to not make the same mistakes that I did.

Closer To God is a mediocre version of Closer. The only redeeming quality is that it at least took the song in a different direction. Personally I like the direction it had to begin with, so I don't care for this remix. Closer (Precursor/Deviation/Internal/Further Away) is a rather strange remix which I have to give merrit to for being extremely creepy at times. Heresy (Blind) is a great remix of Heresy. I almost like it better than the original if it weren't for the fact that the original is one of my favorite Nine Inch Nails songs. Memorabilia is an extremely repetitive cover of a great Soft Cell song, I usually skip this one. March of the F**kheads is a neat beat-driven instrumental which is somewhat awkward. It sounds as though Trent spilled some silverwear on the floor, just happened to record it, and then looped it to make a song. The final track, Closer, is about having sex with farmyard animals, but the music is neat.

It's a descent collection of songs, and I think it's worth getting if you're a big Nine Inch Nails fan, especially for the, what I like to call; F**king weird Closer remixes.

my ears are still bleeding
ok, a lot of the remix cds i hear get so old i want to pour bleach on them and then drop them from the grand canyon, but this is an exception...this is one of those cds you have the need to bow down to...cuz its better than you and your grandma combined!...ive also labled this as my scariest album, because it often makes me jump during the joy of listening, and afterwords im like, "oh my god,,,somebodys in my house,,,somebodys gonna kill me...*tear*" because i always hear noises afterwords, and im always lookin around for stuff, such as serial killers and giant pigs, maybe im just goin skitzo.

every song on here gets a ten out of ten...it contains.:5 remixes of closer(all of which are perfect to a pinpoint).......the original closer.....heresay remix.......memorbilia(new song),pretty good and strange like always......march of the f*c*heads(new song), it sounds like a computer game to me, but hey im goin skitzo, why would you trust me?

DAMN YOU NINE INCH NAILS!!...im so confused anymore...i dont know whether to bow down to nine inch nails because they are the best band of all time or smack them for making me go crazy, lookin for serial killers under my bed 'n stuff...anywayz...peace awayamen.......

If you like the Song Closer, it's good.
This single is just Closer in many different forms. If you think Closer on it's own is worth the $, it's worth it. I'd spend my money on some of the other NIN's albums though, rather than on this single. Buy The Fragile or Pretty Hate Machine before this.
... Read more

Big and moody, Staring at the Sea compiles some hits and near misses of these excavators of the dark soul.Beginning with their earliest hits--the sparse "Killing an Arab," the aptly tedious "10:15 Saturday Night," and the charming "Boys Don't Cry"--this collection stops before the comparative giddiness of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

Musicians first, brooding art types second, The Cure's unique instrumentation doesn't get the credit it rightfully deserves. The thrashy, trash-can break in "Jumping Someone Else's Train," the sprightly synthesized recorder of "Close to Me," and the techno-pop disco lines in "Let's Go to Bed" and "The Walk" are downright brilliant in their effectiveness and simplicity. A string of money shots if ever there was one. --Steve Gdula

Sometimes I Dream
"Staring at the Sea" is a collection of singles from the band's albums from "Three Imaginary Boys" (released in America as "Boys Don't Cry," with a few variations) in 1979 up through "Head on the Door" in 1985. This album provides a fine panorama of the Cure's progression from a power (punk) trio (Killing an Arab, Boys Don't Cry), through the heavily synthesized sounds of Faith (Other Voices), the gothic, drum machine of Pornography (The Hanging Garden), to the Cure's most complex (and commercially successful) arrangements in Head on the Door (Inbetween Days, Close to Me). New fans will instantly fall in love with Boys Don't Cry, Love Cats, Caterpillar, Inbetween Days and Close to Me. "Killing an Arab" was the band's first single, and despite its name, is merely an adaptation of Albert Camus' "The Stranger," not a reflection of any racial animosity. "Charlotte Sometimes" is a gem on this album. It was never released on a full-length album, yet it is a favorite of many Cure fans; the studio version is a bit sluggish, though, and fans will find that songs like "Let's Go to Bed," "The Walk," and "Charlotte" (though cleverly appealing as mid-80s antiquities) are literally transformed by the performances of these songs in the live CDs "Show" and "Paris." This compilation is outstanding, though. New fans are encouraged to check out "Galore," which is a collection of more recent singles that most people are more familiar with, but when you are ready to fall in love with the Cure, and you will, this album should immediately become part of your CD collection.

Give Me The Cure
As with most "greatest hits" albums, "Standing on the Beach" is merely a collection of previously released material. Nowadays the only reason to really buy the compact disc version of this album is for "Charlotte Sometimes", a single released in 1982, and only released on vinyl. "Charlotte" is a classic Cure track based on a children's book written by Penelope Farmer and it conveys the mood and style for much of The Cure's work in the early Eighties.

However, the cassette version of this album is a definate recomendation! It contains most of the songs avaliable on the cd and a "B-side" collection of unreleased songs from "Boys Don't Cry" all the way up to "The Head on the Door." There are some very interesting songs on the b-side that express how multi-dimensional the band can be. And some of the Cure's rejected songs sound better than a lot of bands released material!

Either way, being a long time fan of Robert Smith and The Cure, you could hardly go wrong with either medium, though the cassette will definately put you through so many moods you will need a psychiatrist when you are done listening!

Oh Meursault...
What else can be said about this that hasn't already? We shall see. If there is just one album by the Cure that you could get (excluding Disintegration) by all means make this the one! This album includes a very nice array of earlier Cure material ranging from their brilliant ode to Camus (that alone makes this cd worth it) in Killing an Arab, the ironically cheerful Boys Don't Cry (oh, but they do) and the brooding atmosphere created in the Hanging Garden to the wonderful meandering of A Forest and playfully upbeat tempo created by Close to Me, brass and all, the Lovecats and of course the beutifully simplistic The Caterpillar.There are just so many great songs on this album it is hard to describe mention them all; every track is truly a jewel, and, perhaps, most impressive is the range of emotion and subject matter that the Cure covers here, all with brilliance, wit and a graceful passion unmatched in most music that is being made today. In this collection, as with all of the Cure's material, Robert Smith's lyrics ring true and the accompanying music never fails to intensify the the mood that they evoke. The Cure are without a doubt one of the best bands to come out of the 70's and 80's and this album illustrates why. Go on go on your choice is made...

The Cure: a singles band? Here's proof...
Thanks to the recent TV commercial for HP Digital cameras, I found myself really wanting to have some Cure in my life again and went looking for "Pictures Of You." Yes, at one time I had almost all the Cure CD's in my collection, but time and economics had weeded them away. "Staring At The Sea" offered me an opportunity to get a batch of other songs I remembered with fondness.

As dark and morose as The Cure's image had always been, their albums up to "The Head On The Door" frequently found them making dazzlingly brilliant singles. Hard to believe it, but Robert Smith was just as pop song smart as any New Romantic period hit maker, and in songs like "The Walk" or "Love Cats" he showed the kind of playfulness that many of his fans didn't always "get." Nonetheless, early efforts like "Killing An Arab" or "Hanging Garden" reinforced that dark depressive atmosphere that early Cure fans embraced so completely. Smith himself never had any problem with playing against preconceived notions of what a Cure song should be; I doubt a jazzy Robert ("Let's Go To Bed") was in any goth fan's must hear list.

I also found it ironic that the "Staring at the Sea" image of an old man was mirrored by the baby with the ice cream on "Galore." If you wanted to read more into it, you'd almost suspect Robert Smith was gently trying to remind listeners that he didn't mind playing to his more childlike nature when making music. While there has yet to be a comprehensive single disc collection of the Cure's best, a purchase of "Galore" and "Standing" will at least put all the singles at your fingertips.

Charlotte Sometimes
The one reason to buy this is to have "Charlotte Sometimes" on cd. I myself own everything the cure has released but I had to buy this for that song. Charlotte Sometimes is the most dreamy and mysterious Cure song ever and I swear it puts me in a trance. It steals me away from my dreary life as a teenager with a dead end job and a so-far meaningless exisitence...sounds Cliche' huh?. Well, trust me this album is full of Cure classics but it holds the one Cure song that has a place im my heart forever. Keep an eye out for the new cure album coming...its going to be a great summer.
... Read more

Fixed should be called Broken...
This remix ep seems to have a identity crisis. Though the nice blue on the cover may seem to represent hope, you'll find NONE of that on this bad boy. Though this ep is called Fixed, you'll find NOTHING that comes close to that sound on this bad boy. Anyway, on to the review... The Gave Up remix is a great way to start this out, as it just builds and builds. With a drum beat that makes your head spin, chopped up lyrics, and that great Gave Up guitar riff, this one will stand out to the listener at first listen. The longest song on the cd is next, the Wish remix. It builds greatly for the first few minutes, then goes to a deconstructed mix of the song. Then, it loops yet has enough differences to make it enjoyable. My favorite song would be the Happiness In Slavery remix, track 3. It sounds nothing like the Broken version, and truthfully, I find that good. This is a great song,and to think that it's an instrumental! Throw This Away is a combination of Suck and Last. Certainly the quietist of the cd, this song is above decent, so to speak. The last two tracks are ones I could deal without. Fist is too boring, and Screaming Slave is just noise, though good noise. With the other songs on this cd though, the last two will be forgotten. All in all, this is a great attempt at remixing, and a very successful one too. Buy this if you like expermientation.

Noise
This is by far my least favorite NIN CD. I didn't like it the first time I listened to it, and I haven't liked it since (and believe you me: I tried to like it).

It's simply noisy. Now I know, alot of NIN is loud, distorted, etc, but this seemed noise for noise's sake. Now, I LOVED Broken. It was in fact my first foray into non-pop music. I loved how loud and aggressive it sounded. Fixed managed to take all of that noise and simply filter out the the purpose imo. The vocals are buried under wall of noise, the measures are chopped up... and that's my real big peeve actually (measure chopping). I loved Wish; it was my favorite song on Broken. They took the guitar riff and arbitrarily chopped off the last beat in the measure... and looped it. It's grating. I thought at first my CD player had freaked out or perhaps the CD was scratched.

Now, just so no one thinks I just hate remixes... I LOVED Further Down the Spiral (The Botton, At The Hear of it All, Erasure[polite]... all great remixes). And they were quite different than their originals... especially The Bottom which was my favorite track. But, they'd been crafted into new songs. Every time I hear tracks on Fixed, I get an image of a guy that just got a new mixing program and wants to see just how much "damage" he can do. "Ooo... check it out; this program lets you just drop a beat out... AWESOME! It's like, I'm in 4/4 now and then... *BAM!* it's the same thing only in 3/4. What a mind trip! What else can this thing do?!"

:-/

Now this is a rarity - a NIN CD I'll give more than 3 stars
Although I rarely listen to this CD anymore - it's filled with good ideas ie Trent doesn't sing as much which is a bonus for me. Alright there are 2 in which he does but I can live with that. And on one of the tracks his vocals are garbled nonsense - excellent it suits him better that way! Now this is the way it should have been but what do I know says you the NIN fanatic.

My favourites are the Happiness in Slavery Remix - dig that cool synth work! Throw This Away sounds too short ( which maybe a blessing ) and Screaming Slave which is the nearest to industrial Trent ever got - pure noise!

But here is where my generosity ends towards NIN

Buy Broken And Fixed NOW
I need to counter the mediocre and bad reviews of Fixed. This CD is absolutely worth getting. Broken is about as pure Trent Reznor as you can get and Fixed is a step beyond that. If you like Broken and Fixed, you like the real NIN.

Gave Up is fantastic, perfectly disjointed yet still driving and aggressive. Then there's Wish. It alone is worth the price of the CD. The original was great, this remix is life-altering. It's violent, shrill, jarring, it takes everything that makes NIN what it is and cranks it up to the highest level.

After Wish, the songs get more quirky and less "song-like". This isn't a bad thing, this is Trent Reznor. If you like things even more off-the-wall, the last few tracks might just be your favorites.

Regardless, I consider Fixed and Broken to be the most NIN of all the NIN CD's. If you really want to get inside Trent's head and see just what the world looks like to him, buy these, jack up the treble, jack up the volume, then listen 'til your ears bleed.

basically hate it...but it'll grow on me i imagine
there's a couple of songs that are ok on here ... but there not the kind you can listen to all the time like, say, the downward spiral, pretty hate machine, broken or the fragile.......im sure eventually i might like it more....ive only listened to it a couple times since ive had it and i always have the urge to turn it off....usually i would take a cd i dont like to the pawn shop but since this is nine inch nails i have to keep it for my most TREASURED collection.....

so basically...get this if you are a severe nine inch nails halo-ist....(but it most likely wont be on repeat in your stereo)
... Read more

I AM MAD!!
First of all I would just like to say that HIM is a kick-ass band, I heard of HIM through a punk-rocker at my school. I had went to Hot Topic to buy some stuff and I saw the cd and I freaked! I got through the first 11 seconds of the fist song and said "I am buying it!" It turned to be a one of the best cd's I have bought. I am now a full time HIM fan.

Now see I was flipping through some of the reviews and I saw some of the most offensive thing's about this band. I love AFI that is my favorite band but when I heard this one comment about how Ville (vocals of HIM) looks like Davey Havock (vocals of AFI), I got pissed! Ok I don't know if this world has gone blind, but seriously I think it has. VILLE AND DAVEY LOOK NOTHING ALIKE YOU STUPID IDIOTIC FREAKS! Just because they both have black hair it does not mean it gives them the same facial qualitys.

I also saw another one that said that everyone likes HIM just because of Bam Margera. Actually I can prove that that is not true. If you go to England basically all of the people who love HIM don't even know who Bam is.

The one thing that pissed me off the most is that some people think that being a rock band means your not supposed to like pink but you can like purple. THAT'S STUPID! Punk-rockers, skaters and goths wear pink for godsake and there not girlie! (I would know I'm a hardcore goth) Your not against them are you? Of course not! Cause liking the color pink has nothing to do with feminism! OK ALL YOU IGNORRANT PEOPLE!? I'm just sick and tired of all the stupid people who don't know the meaning of a good band. Hope y'all enjoy the cd!

Not My Favorite, But Still A Great CD...
This was my first purchase by the band HIM (though at the time it was not yet released in the US so it costed about 30 dollars, but it has a bonus disc with 6 live tracks). Though a lot of people like it the most, I enjoy "Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666" and "Love Metal" more, because of their more complex songs and better musicianship. There are a lot of power chords and easy bass lines, and they definetly do not show what they are capable of. However, this is the best CD to start with if you're new to HIM, and it is only $9.99. But I do recommend buying "GLSV666" and "LM" when they are released here, if they ever are, as well.

Ville Valo is the vocalist and songwriter here, and he is amazing at both. He has a very beautiful voice which can do a lot of different ranges, and is, in my opinion, one of the best rock vocalists. The lyrics he writes are ridiculus if you look at them as being literal. Almost all the lyrics are metaforical, which is what makes them so special. The music is good, but he is capable of writing much more layered, complex melodies.

While Ville Valo is the front man, the band themselves are also very talented. The guitarist lays down a lot of power chords, but can let loose a catchy riff here and there. The keyboardist is good and gets a lot of playing time (at least for a hard rock keyboardist). The bassist does no hard things, and never has, but never disappoints at delivering a solid, simple rhythm. The drummer is the only below average talent. He gets the job done, but doesn't do much else. He never really plays fast or aggressively and pretty much plays the same beat throughout the whole track, with few variations. But this could be improved upon with future releases...

1. Your Sweet 666-10/10-A re-make of their opening track from "Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666". This version's definetly better, with more keyboards and more high singing.2. Poison Girl-10/10-A more mellow track, with good bass and lyrics. I love the line, "I did it all just for her...". Great song.3. Join Me In Death-8/10-A lot of people really like this song, but I just think it's alright. It's way to mellow and it just doesn't compare with the rest this album offers.4. Right Here in My Arms-10/10-This is just a beautiful song. Every time I listen to it, it's still amazing. One of the best.5. Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart-5/10-Ehhh...never cared for this. Nothing new or interesting and very boring. Way to quiet in verse, and the drumming's not good at all. I usually skip this.6. Wicked Game-10/10-Another re-make from "GLSV666", which was (and is) a cover of the Chris Isaak song. Not being a fan of Isaak, I think their cover is better, though the better cover is on "GLSV666", because of the better riff it has. Anyway, this version's still great, as you could probably tell from the 10 rating.7. I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy)-10/10-Great keyboards in the opening riff, and a very dramatic chorus. One of the best on the album.8. Gone With The Sin-10/10-Another mellow track, but I think they pull this off quite well. The acoustic guitar's are great, and I love the lyrics in the chorus.9. Razorblade Kiss-10/10-My favorite track on the album. The solo's amazing, and the vocals are astounding in the chorus. Amazing work.10. Reserrection-8/10-A good track, it's just that it's all been done before. Not bad, just not new.11. Death is in Love With Us-9/10-A very fast track. Love the lyrics.12. Heaven Tonight-7/10-I like the mellow music and the bass at the beginning, though I don't love the rest. It's pretty good, just not amazing.13. Sigillum Diabolia-7/10-This track is not on my version, but I've downloaded it, and I used to love it, but it gets old after repeated listenings. A lot of repeating, but the lyrics are awesome. Very fast and heavy.14. One Last Time-10/10-This is not on my version either, but I have downloaded it as well. A very quiet track, with some weird noises at the beginning, but once it gets going, it's beautiful. Great acoustic guitars and haunting vocals. One of the best, even if it's not on my album.

As I said before, this is not my favorite HIM release, but it is a very easy-to-get-in-to album, and if you're just getting into the band, get this first.

Also, remember not to call them goth, as it is not correct. The name's Love Metal.

HIM - the finnish Gods
Is there anything mroe amazing than when you can put on a cd from begining to end and not have the need to change the track from some filler to a single. Even though this cd is not all that new it was released a long time ago overseas and it is just out in America it still is amazing. The songs are liek nothing you will hear on an American radio station and thats a good thing. The choruses are easy to sing along with and the lyrics are thought provoking and amazing. This cd is amazing just to say it plainly, a must have for any music fan.

BEST CD EVER
I puchased this cd at a store in florida. It is so great. All my friends borrow it and try to steal it. I would reccomend this cd for everybody. It combines the slowness for people with a softer side and the hardcore music that HIM really is. Him is my favorite band. I am only 13 years old and i've been listening to them for years. I love HIM greatest band ever. I would reccomend this cd.

Good songs:

Your Sweet 666-not as good as original but closePoison Girl-Awesome Song upbeat

Join Me-it really grows on yaRight Here in my Arms-awesome I love you-heavy and awesomeRazorblade kiss-pricelessSigillum Diaboli-beautifulOne Last Time- Valo at his finest one of my favorite him songs

good CD..great CD to say the least
theres a couple of things i have to say, first off, if you listen to HIM because u wanna be Bam then your jus a sad freakin idiot who needs 2 kicked straight in tha ass for bein so stupid,this is some of the greatest music i have ever listened to in my whole life. Vallo's voice is truly stunning, sometimes sending chills down through me. i can relate to many songs by HIM,also why there my favorite band. but people, point is, listen to HIM because of there music...not because of Bam or whoever else has them on there cover..